Fan-filmed video of KITTIE's May 13 performance at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below. The band's nine-song set included the live debut of a new track called "Vultures".

KITTIE's setlist was as follows:

01. I've Failed You
02. Cut Throat
03. Oracle
04. Spit
05. Vultures (new song)
06. Charlotte
07. Do You Think I'm A Whore
08. Brackish
09. We Are The Lamb

In a recent interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Morgan Lander of Canadian metallers KITTIE spoke about the band's plans for the coming months. She said: "There's a lot of plans coming up. Not too much that I can share, but definitely more shows are in the works. I don't think that it's ever gonna be something that we'll be able to do full-time and tour nine months out of the year. It's just not feasible and not even really cost effective, to be honest with you — from that standpoint as well. But, yeah, I think that we are gonna make the band and music and shows a priority for the next few years. So that just means you'll be seeing and hearing more of us. I guess."

She added: "We'll see what sort of shakes. We've got some interesting things coming down the pipeline. So I think, without giving too much away, I feel like the next few years will be very interesting and very exciting for the band."

Asked about the possibility of new KITTIE music in the not-too-distant future, Morgan said: "Yeah. It's definitely something that is on our to-do list. It's something we've been really interested in... It's definitely something that we wanna do when the timing is right, when the situation is right. It is all starting to come together and feel more right. So I guess it's the perfect time."

KITTIE played its first concert in five years last September at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Joining Morgan and her sister, drummer Mercedes Lander, at the band's recent gigs were guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Vujic.

Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band's native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group's documentary "Kittie: Origins/Evolutions".

Asked in an interview with the "Talk Toomey" podcast what led to Vujic returning to KITTIE for the most recent batch of dates, Lander said: "Ivy played on two of our albums, the last two albums that we did. She left the band right before the very last big tour that we ended up doing; she did the Soundwave Festival [in Australia] with us in 2012, and those were the last shows that we did with her. And she just kind of settled into her life, started a family, got married, and so that's sort of been what she's been up to. But Ivy's a metal girl at heart and she's always been super, super easygoing about stuff. I just sent her a message and I was, like, 'Hey, can we talk?' And we had a really, really great phone call and I just sort of explained the situation, explained what was going on. I asked her if she'd be into doing it, and she was, like, 'Yeah. Sounds great.' … It's very much one of those things where you don't talk that often anymore, you don't see each other that often, but then, when you all get together again, that chemistry and that vibe is always there."

Morgan continued: "I feel like that lineup of KITTIE in particular was always very super pro, super chill — no stress, no drama. Just, like, 'You know what? We're gonna go out there and we're gonna sound amazing.'

"She's an incredible bass player. I don't think that Ivy gets enough credit. She is absolutely incredible."

Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band's fifth studio CD, 2009's "In The Black". She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE's sixth album, 2011's "I've Failed You".

In January 2022, the original lineup of KITTIE — Morgan, Mercedes, Fallon Bowman (guitar) and Tanya Candler (bass) — reunited for an online chat to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of its gold-certified 2000 debut album, "Spit".

Candler left KITTIE after the release of "Spit" in order to finish high school and was replaced by Talena Atfield.

Bowman exited KITTIE in 2001 and started her own industrial/electronic project, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.

After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for 2011's "I've Failed You" album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.

"I've Failed You" sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

IMMORTAL founder Harald "Demonaz" Nævdal says that he has no interest in reuniting with his former bandmates Olve "Abbath" Eikemo and Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen.

One of Norway's first and most successful black metal acts, IMMORTAL was formed by Demonaz and Abbath in 1990. Horgh joined the group in 1996. Eight years ago, Abbath and the rest of the group went through a bitter breakup.

The highly publicized legal battle in 2014 over the rights to the IMMORTAL name pitted Abbath against Demonaz and Horgh, with Abbath claiming the pair abandoned IMMORTAL after they moved their gear out of the band's rehearsal space. The Norwegian court systems determined otherwise, and awarded the IMMORTAL name to Demonaz and Horgh.

According to documents uncovered by Norway's VG, a conflict arose between the two remaining IMMORTAL members four years ago, with Demonaz registering IMMORTAL with the Norwegian Patent Office as his exclusive trademark in July 2019. The registration was approved, and he was therefore given the exclusive right to use the band name commercially. However, Horgh chose to appeal the registration, and the matter was ruled in his favor, meaning that Demonaz no longer had the exclusive right to the IMMORTAL name.

Asked in a new interview with El Cuartel Del Metal if he would be open to one day playing with Abbath and Horgh again under the IMMORTAL banner, Demonaz said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We tried all that before several times, and it didn't work. So I don't see why I should do that again. I don't see a reason to do it, 'cause we tried it before. It didn't work. And when something doesn't work, why do you wanna do it again? It's easy."

Last month, Demonaz told Chaoszine about the current status of his legal dispute with Horgh: "We have had some disputes. And there was problems already in 2014 with this. But everything is solved now. But I can't tell you the details because [there is a settlement] agreement [in place preventing us from discussing it].

"Most bands, they are, like, releasing two CDs or LPs and [they] disappear," he continued. "I've had a band for more than 30 years, so it's impossible not to lose some members or have agreements for so long time. I think every band that's lasted more than 20 years or 30 years, you will see the same… Not every marriage is a happy marriage."

Asked what his relationship like now with Abbath and Horgh, Demonaz said: "It's been some time [since we've been in contact]. So that's natural, I think. They're busy with their stuff and I'm busy with my stuff. It's not like in the old days when we were meeting up very often. But for me, it's, like, there's no bitterness. I've moved on, and they've moved on."

As for Abbath's comment in 2020 to Norway's Dagbladet newspaper that he wasn't opposed to an IMMORTAL reunion, Demonaz said: "He has said a lot of things, I think. [Laughs] I think maybe he forgot to tell me. I didn't hear that from him… I just wish him very well in what he's doing."

Three years ago, Horgh told VG that he had no advance knowledge of the IMMORTAL registration made by Demonaz.

"It could never have occurred to me to register the trademark by myself, as Nævdal has done here, but I have found myself having to fight to keep the rights I have earned through a long career in this band," he said. "It is, and after all has been for many years, a large part of my livelihood."

At the time, Demonaz told VG that he disagreed with the decision, pointing out that he was "the band's only remaining original member. I am also the only one who has been on all of the band's releases," he said.

The Norwegian Patent Office ruled that the rights to the IMMORTAL name belong to the band as a whole, and not to the individual members.

"We have jointly as a band built up the trademark IMMORTAL, and it is therefore right that the trademark should be a joint ownership," Horgh said.

The drummer went on to say that he was hopeful IMMORTAL could perform live again.

"It has been my goal all the way, and I know that this is something IMMORTAL fans want and have been waiting for a long time," he said. "I hope in the long run that we can manage to put these disagreements behind us, and again look ahead as a band."

IMMORTAL's first album without Abbath, "Northern Chaos Gods", was released in July 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

Three years ago, Abbath told Dagbladet: "I got a text from Horgh saying it was great that I got sober. Harald and I haven't spoken at all. But there's no evil blood or bitterness on my part anymore. I realize that I was a part of the problem. Things are great for me now. But am I open to an IMMORTAL reunion? Yes, of course. But it has to be something special. I just wish we could sit down and have a talk about things when it all went to hell, instead of involving lawyers."

Abbath used to be married to Demonaz's sister, and they share a son, Torbjørn.

Abbath is now the frontman of his namesake band, which released its third album, "Dread Reaver", in March 2022 via Season Of Mist.

IMMORTAL will release a new album, "War Against All", on May 26 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Photo credit: Leander Djønne

Last In Line - frontman Andrew Freeman, bassist Phil Soussan (ex-Ozzy Osbourne), and former Dio comrades-in-arms Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard) and Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath) - have released a video for "Bastard Son", the latest single from their new album, Jericho, out now via earMUSIC.


The album features 12 new tracks that are sure to please all fans of the genre. Watch the new video below, and order the album here.







Jericho tracklisting:


"Not Today Satan"
"Ghost Town"
"Bastard Son"
"Dark Days"
"Burning Bridges"
"Do The Work"
"Hurricane Orlagh"
"Walls Of Jericho"
"Story Of My Life"
"We Don't Run"
"Something Wicked"
"House Party At The End Of The World"


"Bastard Son" video:





"House Party At The End Of The World":





"Do The Work" video:





"Ghost Town" video:





Album preview:

On Friday (May 12),an impressive new mix of one of the most famous and controversial RAMMSTEIN songs ever was released digitally: "Spiel Mit Mir (2023 Mix)" from the 1997 RAMMSTEIN masterpiece "Sehnsucht" is also part of the remastered "Sehnsucht Anniversary Edition" as a bonus track, which will be released on June 9.

On May 17, the new mix will also be released on a limited-edition white seven-inch vinyl with "Du Hast", one of the band's most popular singles, available for pre-order. The pre-order launch is accompanied by a remastered 4K hi-res version of the groundbreaking video for "Du Hast".

With over 500 million views, the clip, released on July 18, 1997, is still one of the most popular RAMMSTEIN videos ever. Even more spectacular that this iconic masterpiece is available to watch remastered as a 4K hi-res version. The original film rolls were used for the remastering process of the video.

With their second album "Sehnsucht", released in August 1997, RAMMSTEIN achieved their international breakthrough. Not least due to "Du Hast", with which the band reached the Top 20 in the USA and even the Top 2 of the charts in Canada. To this day, "Spiel Mit Mir", "Du Hast" and many other "Sehnsucht" songs are still an essential part of RAMMSTEIN's live shows.

"Sehnsucht" will be made available for the first time in remastered HD sound. The elaborately reworked packaging was designed by the original artwork designer Dirk Rudolph. The CD comes in a Blu-ray-sized eight-panel digipak with a 40-page booklet and an embossed silver foil slipcase. The 40-page booklet features numerous unpublished and re-edited portrait photographs by artist Gottfried Helnwein.

Following the release of their debut album "Herzeleid" ("Heartbreak") as a "limited anniversary edition", it is time to revisit "Sehnsucht" ("Longing"),originally released in August 1997, effectively announced the arrival of the six onto the global stage. "Sehnsucht" peaked at No. 1 on the German and Austrian charts, also going Top 50 in the U.S. (it stands as the only fully German album to be certified platinum Stateside).

26 years and a new century on, it's clear that "Sehnsucht" — another 11-tracker like "Herzeleid" — indeed like all of the studio outings has lost none of its initial power. From opener, "Sehnsucht" itself, to the aforementioned "Du Hast" or the follow-up "Engel", through to closing number "Küss Mich (Fellfrosch)" ("Kiss Me (Fur Frog))", RAMMSTEIN's sophomore release sees the founding members spectacularly hitting their stride, making greater use of electronics and samples, as well as the melodic side of Till Lindemann's considerable vocal range.

That signature RAMMSTEIN sound has been given an added boost now — remastered in HD sound for the first time on CD for the "anniversary edition" of an album that can rightfully be termed "iconic". This 2023 version exclusively includes a new mix of the track "Spiel Mit Mir", and comes in a selection of exclusive, elaborately packaged formats: CD, MC, digital, plus a pair of double LPs, one black vinyl, the other white.

To millions heroes, to others villains, there's no question that "Sehnsucht" — the band's first official release in the U.S. — was the album that fully shaped who RAMMSTEIN were, what they sounded like and what they stood for. "Sehnsucht" underlined in red pen just how intriguing, and singular, they really were, and just where that collective mind was prepared to go, starting with the sleeve itself.

"Sehnsucht" anniversary edition track listing:

01. Sehnsucht
02. Engel
03. Tier
04. Bestrafe Mich
05. Du Hast
06. Bück Dich
07. Spiel Mit Mir
08. Klavier
09. Alter Mann
10. Eifersucht
11. Küss Mich (Fellfrosch)
12. Spiel Mit Mir (2023 mix)

COAL CHAMBER played its first show in nearly eight years earlier today (Saturday, May 13) at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fan-filmed video and photos of the performance are available below.

Two months ago, COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about how the band's reunion came about: "Unbelievable turn of events. That actually happened… I was on my way out from COVID. And my wife called [the other members of COAL CHAMBER] and said, 'Hey, you guys may wanna text Dez or call Dez 'cause I don't know if he's gonna make it through the night. He's telling me where he wants to be buried and not to sell his '78 Cadillac.' So they started to call me, they started to text me, and over a period of six, seven, eight months, we didn't talk any business at all. And we realized that, you know, why are we not playing shows? Those guys are totally different people than when we broke up. I have always been the same — I've just been solid as a rock; and I told them, 'I'm solid as a rock. If I come out of this, I would love to do at least one show with you guys.' And that's how this all started — very organically."

Dez added: "COAL CHAMBER is a very unpredictable thing, all the way from its beginning, playing with PANTERA and BLACK SABBATH, to where we were when we put out 'Rivals' to where we are now.

"I'm very excited for the Sick New World fest and to see what we're gonna do. But we're gonna take it slow and we're gonna do what's appropriate for the brand and for the band and especially the fans that have been with us for so long."

When COAL CHAMBER's participation in Sick New World was first announced last fall, Fafara took to his Twitter to write simply: "#coalchamber is back #thatisall".

Guitarist Miguel "Meegs" Rascón wrote: "My brothers and sister. Back together, w all the love in the world. Cant wait to play for all the fans who have been there for us and loyal. We love u all! #coalchamber #sicknewworld".

Added bassist Nadja Peulen: "Excited to share the stage with my brothers again! COAL CHAMBER live in Las Vegas 2023 @sicknewworld festival."

Drummer Mike Cox wrote: "Well this is definitely something I thought I would never post again in my life!!! I am rarely on social media anymore as it is…..

"Quick recap as it will be therapeutic for me !!! After our last tours in 2015 I was coming off stage very depressed and wanting to be home with my young son. I was missing a lot and it started to really get to me. I made the decision , that if we stop again it was my last time ever playing again. After our last show ,it was over … and that's what I did. I completely retired from music and began focusing on my family life and raising our son . With the tremendous support and encouragement from my wife we moved to a new city …..Bought a new house ,and my construction company is booming…. Everything was exactly where we wanted it to be . After YEARS of hard work , therapy, sobriety , 2 elbow surgeries, I found extreme peace with not being a musician anymore.

"Over the years I kept in contact with @dezfafara and I feel like for the first time in 25 years we actually became real friends . Both our families went through A LOT over the past years and we were actually there for each other . We actually listen to each other and that means more than any band at this point in my life . That slowly changed the conversation of starting to play again… and here we are!!!

"I really thought about this decision for a long time with my family and what it meant to jump back in and this was a family decision. Our son is older now and always asks about what I used to do… now I can just show him all the crazy hardcore COAL CHAMBER fans we have out there!!!. It's an exciting time for us all the future looks bright!

"As for @meegsrascon ….. I think I have talked to him almost everyday of my life for the past 25 years….can't get rid of this fool!!!

"I want to thank everyone who helped me with this decision as it was not a easy one to make. Thank you to @theoraclemgmt for all of the extremely hard work and putting things in black and white and not bullshitting me like the music industry is so famous for. Also thanks to @nadjapeulen for being a part of this whacky journey we have put her through. I love all of you!!!!"

COAL CHAMBER will support MUDVAYNE on "The Psychotherapy Sessions" tour this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the 26-city trek kicks off on July 20 in West Palm Beach at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, making stops across the U.S. in Syracuse, Albuquerque, Phoenix, and more before wrapping up in Englewood, Colorado at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre on August 26.

COAL CHAMBER existed for ten years before disbanding in 2003 to pursue other musical projects. They reunited in 2011 for touring purposes but it wasn't until 2014 that the band began work on a new studio album of original material, the aforementioned critically acclaimed "Rivals". Several months of touring activity followed before Dez returned to DEVILDRIVER to make a new record, 2016's "Trust No One".

DEVILDRIVER's 2019 co-headlining tour with STATIC-X saw the Fafara-fronted outfit performing material from COAL CHAMBER for the first time.

Fafara painted a bleak picture of COAL CHAMBER's future during a 2016 interview with Revolver magazine. He stated at the time: "I had a lot of fun doing that record and playing shows with them again. But there were some circumstances that were not ideal and that's why that thing is not continuing as of right now. If something comes up and I have time and want to make a record and the members have their shit together, I'll do it. But as of now, there's some deep-seated shit that certain dudes in the band still need to work out. And if they work it out and want to tour or make another record, they can come back and give me a call. But right now, everyone in DEVILDRIVER is stoked. No one's fighting. And I feel lucky to be where I am."

Dez had stated in previous interviews that COAL CHAMBER's original split happened because "I did not want to be around the band's hard drug use and I realized that going onstage every night that the money was feeding their habit, so I walked to save my friends." He added that his COAL CHAMBER bandmates were "clean" as of 2012, which made him realize that "it was the right thing to walk [away from the group back in 2003]."

GETTING LOCO 😤🔥 @coalchamberofficial

(📸: @justnjames_ )

Posted by Sick New World on Saturday, May 13, 2023

Fan-filmed video of SEVENDUST performing a new song called "Fence" during the band's May 9 concert at The Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina can be seen below.

"Fence" is taken from SEVENDUST's fourteenth studio album, "Truth Killer", which will arrive on July 28 via the band's new label home, Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2020's "Blood & Stone" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

"Truth Killer" showcases that the original and current SEVENDUST lineup — comprised of Lajon Witherspoon, Clint Lowery, John Connolly, Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose — sounds as relevant today as it did on its 1997 self-titled debut. "Truth Killer" is now available for pre-order in multiple configurations.

From the introspective opening of "I Might Let The Devil Win" to the classic SEVENDUST sound of "Fence", the twelve songs on "Truth Killer" demonstrate the diverse style that has won the band a legion of loyal fans. "Truth Killer", "Everything" and "Holy Water" combine elements of the classic SEVENDUST sound with modern updates, pointing their lyrical lens at the world today. The first song released is the album closer "Fence", out now and accompanied by a claymation music video directed and animated by Ollie Jones. The video tells the story of a chemical leak during a SEVENDUST show that causes the band to turn in to zombies — but SEVENDUST will live forever!

In a February 2023 interview with "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", Lowery stated about "Truth Killer": "I'm very stoked about the record. A lot of bands say that. I'm amazed we're still making music we love and we're not phoning it in. We worked really hard on it."

Clint previously talked about the upcoming SEVENDUST LP in an interview with "Good Company With Scott Bowling". At the time, he said: "I'm really excited about this record. We did that with Elvis Baskette. He's got his vibe. And this will be our third record with him."

Lowery went on to say that he has had to step away from the new SEVENDUST album after it was completed.

"I've listened to it, I've not liked it, I loved it, I hated it, and then I fell back in love with it," he explained.

"When I'm finished with a record, I really… That one took a lot out of me creatively, which is amazing that I even went for [a new solo] EP to do myself [shortly after finishing the SEVENDUST LP], 'cause I was kind of tapped out creatively. I couldn't even listen to the record afterwards. It was mixed and I heard it, and Elvis did a great job, but it was, like, 'I've gotta put it away for a while.' And I put it on the other day to listen to it, and I'm, 'Oh, man, this is gonna be good. People are gonna really dig it.' I think it's one of the best [records] we've done in a while, man."

Last June, SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose said that the writing session for the band's upcoming album was his "favorite" of SEVENDUST's career. "Just 5 guys in a farm house, creating," he wrote on Instagram. "Telling each other how much we love each other, supporting each other, enjoying being together. No outsiders, no drama, no bullshit. Just us…. The songs are magical, the vibe of the record is magical, our relationship with each other is magical."

BUTCHER BABIES have released a new single, "Red Thunder". The track is taken from the band's upcoming double album, tentatively due this summer.

BUTCHER BABIES stated about the song: "'Red Thunder' is a massive nod to the style and sound of our beloved first album (2013) that launched BUTCHER BABIES into the metal stratosphere exactly a decade ago. Bringing in the groovy, guttural, thrash elements that we became known for, alongside a soaring melodic chorus, 'Red Thunder' culminates the dark, painful, and emotional side of the band. The song was written to remind the world that when she speaks, she speaks in Thunder!"

In a recent interview with Rapture Radio, BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Heidi Shepherd spoke about the band's decision to release a double album. She said: "We took 2019 off of touring to write and record an album that we were set to release in 2020, and, obviously, the world died — it was basically a fend-for-yourself moment," she explained. "So we put everything on hold and we decided to use that time to write. And so we wrote a ton during that time. And so we decided to put the album on hold and go and record more. So now we have a double album coming at you this summer… And I'm so excited for people to hear all of this music that we've made within the span of the last four years. In fact, this morning we got the final mix to one song that's just finished. So you're gonna hear stuff we wrote in 2019, and then you're gonna hear stuff that we wrote and just finished last week."

Asked if BUTCHER BABIES' recently released single "Beaver Cage" is a good representation of what fans can expect to hear on the upcoming LP, Heidi said: "There's a lot going on [the upcoming double album]. Because this was written in two different parts, I think you're gonna hear a lot of different sides to BUTCHER BABIES. But I would say overall 'Beaver Cage' is a great representation of the album. There's a lot of really, really dark stuff on this album — we haven't done that in a while; there's really dark stuff — but then there's also really playful stuff, like 'Beaver Cage'. So I think that this is a really great representation of not just the album but the band too."

This past March, Heidi told Heavy New York that songwriting definitely does not get easier as she and her bandmates get more albums under their belts. "I think that there's something to be said about evolving," she said. "[BUTCHER BABIES' debut album] 'Goliath' was 10 years ago; I'm a totally different human than I was 10 years ago. I've experienced, I feel, a whole lifetime of stuff, touring the world multiple times over with my friends. I'm just kind of deciding what to even touch on. And especially whereas… in the industry, people say, 'Oh, you need to be doing this now.' 'Oh, you need to do this. This is gonna make you successful. You need to transition into this way, that way, this way, this way, that way.' So kind of maintaining the integrity of what you want to create, I think, is a lot harder album to album to album.

"In this band, I'm super grateful for having the bandmembers that we have because we love to experiment and try different things," she continued. "And on this [upcoming fourth BUTCHER BABIES] album you'll hear some of the softest stuff we've ever done… A lot of these songs have been released, like 'Bottom Of The Bottle', which is a total radio song, and that was a song that I went in with the intention and totally [said], 'This is the kind of song that I wanna write for this.' And then you'll hear songs like 'Beaver Cage', where it's wild and chaotic. So I'm excited that we have bandmembers that let us experiment in that way. But when it came to deciding what kind of album we really, really wanted to do, we ended up with a double album because we kind of had two different directions that we really wanted to showcase."

Heidi went on to say that "Beaver Cage" is "quirky, it's silly, it's fun, and I think the whole album really reflects that. But the album has a dark side as well," she revealed. "And something that we're very excited about is showing these different sides of BUTCHER BABIES.

"When [2017's] 'Lilith' came out, I actually had quit smoking immediately after that album, so my voice changed so much between then and now. So you get to really hear the fun ranges I was able to discover in my voice after quitting smoking."

BUTCHER BABIES fourth studio album was completed with producer Josh Schroeder (LORNA SHORE, KING 810).

Last October, BUTCHER BABIES shared the official music video for their cover version of rapper Saweetie's chart-topping single "Best Friend". The clip was directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini and was filmed at the Bare Den adult entertainment club in Newton, New Jersey.

BUTCHER BABIES have been performing their cover of "Best Friend" at their recent live shows.

"Lilith" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked the band's recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.

Since 2020, BUTCHER BABIES have independently released a handful of newly energized singles, some of which were produced and co-written by Matt Good (FROM FIRST TO LAST),including "Bottom Of A Bottle", "Sleeping With The Enemy", "Yorktown", "Last Dance" and "It's Killin' Time, Baby!" The latter was inspired by the DC Comics character Lobo, a heavy metal bounty hunter.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that the band has completed recording its new material.

Sixx took to his social media earlier today (Saturday, May 13) to write: "Recording in London England where so many of my hero's [sic] are from ain't a bad way to start the day.

"Hit the studio with Vince Neil today here in London. The new MÖTLEY CRÜE songs are 100% officially done and ready for mix."

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

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

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

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

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

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

MÖTLEY CRÜE will resume its world tour with DEF LEPPARD on May 22 in Sheffield, U.K.

Recording in London England where so many of my hero’s are from ain’t a bad way to start the day.

Posted by Nikki Sixx on Saturday, May 13, 2023

David Ellefson (ex-MEGADETH) played bass and Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE) played drums with Tyson Leslie's RARE HARE for a performance of MEGADETH's "Hangar 18" during this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH two years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

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

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader 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.

Back in 2016, La Torre, who played drums on QUEENSRŸCHE's 2019 album "The Verdict", spoke to Rock Revolt Magazine about his early days as a musician. He said: "I've been really into drums since I was a little kid. And, that came much more naturally to me than anything. I've always liked singing, but I never tried singing for a band because I didn't think I was good enough… I was a drummer first… I was big Billy Joel fan, and I was always drumming or air drumming. Finally, when I was 13, my dad bought me my first drum set. My mom got me my first guitar when I was ten. And so, I have always been interested. And then I joined bands as a drummer. So, it's always been in my blood."

Asked if he had any desire to get behind the kit and do some side projects, Todd said: "I would love to drum again, too on the side. But, to have another band on the side for fun, that'd be cool, too. To be able to do that as a drummer, that'd be amazing. But QUEENSRŸCHE will always be my number one priority. I have a musicality to me beyond singing. And so it would be nice, while I have the health and the opportunity, to do those things. So, you never know what life will bring you."

FLYLEAF has shared the first part of a new documentary covering the band's reunion with singer Lacey Sturm and eventual return to the live stage.

In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video, FLYLEAF wrote: "FLYLEAF changed lives when they entered the world with a drive to foster hope. In the process, their own lives changed too.

"This is the first chapter of that story — a story of pain, revelation, and a band ultimately held together by love."

FLYLEAF played its first concert with Sturm in 11 years on April 27 at Schoepf's BBQ in Belton, Texas. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

FLYLEAF, which hadn't performed live since 2015 prior to the Belton concert, will make a number of festival appearances this year, including at the Sick New World festival later today (Saturday, May 13) in Las Vegas, Nevada and at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in September in Alton, Virginia.

Sturm left FLYLEAF in October 2012. She was replaced by Kristen May, who recorded one album with the group, 2014's "Between The Stars", before exiting.

Lacey opened up about her reasons for her departure from FLYLEAF in a video promoting her 2014 memoir "The Reason: How I Discovered A Life Worth Living". At the time, she said: "We were on our second album when I got married. And the album was called 'Memento Mori'. And 'memento mori' means remember you're mortal, remember that you'll die and remember that your life is short and precious and so are the lives of those around you.

"For two years, I toured with my husband and it was really amazing, and then after those two years, we ended up getting pregnant with my son," she continued. "And I recognized that my priorities were gonna change even more and that message of 'memento mori' and remembering how short your life is was really weighing on my heart.

"We toured for ten years. I mean, we weren't home for more than a month, probably, a year. So, for me, I just felt really blessed to be pregnant and to be in a place where I could stay home if I wanted to, and really ask that question: how is this gonna change my priorities? How is this gonna look? We had a few things happen that really brought that message home, but the one that hit the hardest was the death of our sound engineer [Rich Caldwell]. We did one last show with FLYLEAF as a benefit for his wife Katy and their son Kirby. And it was really hard to do a show without him, and it was really hard to think it could be our last show. So I remember looking at my son after Rich had passed and just wondering to myself, if this was the last year I had with my son, how would I spend it?

"It was really amazing to recognize this season changing in my life and the freedom that I was gonna be able to focus on my family. And I'm so thankful for that time. And although it was really hard, I'm thankful. And that's the reason I stepped down from FLYLEAF."

Back in 2016, Sturm was asked in an interview with RockRevolt Magazine if there was chance that she could reunite with her former bandmates after they had parted ways with May. She responded: "Well, you know, I feel like I'm the kind of person that I think so much happened that I never in a million years thought would happen, so I've learned to quit saying 'never.' But at the same time, I'm a really present person."

She added at the time: "I don't have any plans for that, but then again, you never know. I don't know… [Laughs] They haven't called me. And I don't have any plans [to go back]."

At several shows last year, Sturm joined SEETHER on stage to perform the FLYLEAF song "I'm So Sick".

In December 2021, Sturm released the official music video for her latest solo single, "Awaken Love". The track followed the previously released "The Decree" and "State Of Me".

SYSTEM OF A DOWN played its first concert of 2023 last night (Saturday, May 13) at the Sick New World festival on the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band's 31-song set included first airings of "Soil" and "Forest" since 2015; first performances of "Darts" and "DAM" since 2017; and it marked the first time "Peephole" has been played since 2013.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Prison Song
02. I-E-A-I-A-I-O
03. Soil (first live performance since 2015)
04. Mind (intro only)
05. Darts (first live performance since 2017)
06. Soldier Side - Intro
07. B.Y.O.B.
08. Genocidal Humanoidz
09. Needles
10. Deer Dance
11. Bounce
12. Suggestions
13. Psycho
14. Chop Suey!
15. Lonely Day
16. Question!
17. Lost In Hollywood
18. Radio/Video
19. Peephole (first live performance since 2013)
20. Dreaming (middle breakdown only)
21. Hypnotize
22. ATWA
23. Forest (first live performance since 2015)
24. Protect The Land
25. Spiders
26. Aerials
27. DAM (first live performance since 2017)
28. Cigaro
29. Suite-Pee
30. Toxicity
31. Sugar

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 18 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000.

In 2018, guitarist Daron Malakian publicly accused singer Serj Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only bandmember to speak to the press.

In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Malakian was asked about the chances of more new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN in the near future. He responded: "I never say never, but at the same time, I'm not expecting to do any more with SYSTEM OF A DOWN right away or immediately after [these two songs]. It really does seem like our fans like these new songs. That's important to me."

He continued: "We've added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog that are on the level with everything else that we've put out and our fans have accepted it that way, which means a lot to me. That's kinda where we're gonna leave it for now. If more happens later on, then we'll talk about that, but for now I will continue doing what I'm doing and everyone else will just continue what they're doing. It's all cool though, I'm really pleased with the response we got."

Two years ago, bassist Shavo Odadjian discussed SYSTEM's inability to record a full-length follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs during an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast. At the time, Shavo stated about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz": "To me, this is all bittersweet, because I think we can still do it, but because of misunderstandings [between] bandmembers, we're not doing it. Look at us — we have a common cause. We get together, we do two songs, two videos.

"I'm that member that still everyone is like the best friend of mine, but they're not best friends with each other so much," he explained. "They are, but they have differences in opinions and stuff. I have a way of understanding each member and saying, 'Dude, we can overcome this.' It's not that big of a deal — no one fucking banged anyone's wife; no one did any of those things that can really destroy a relationship. It's just a difference in opinion of things. And I think people should be [able to] work it out. But because, I think, of what we had, I think it's, like, some people are stuck in what we had and some people wanna move forward and not do what we had and do something totally different, which is wrong too. I don't think we should do something totally different; I think we should do something that both agree [on]. And we're having a hard time [agreeing on a direction], and that's where we are.

"So, to me, it's bittersweet, because I see everybody, and everyone's, like, 'We love Shavo.' And I'm, like, 'I love you,' but then they can't work together."

Shavo went on to reiterate his belief that the differences between the SYSTEM members are not insurmountable. "I don't think anything so horrible has happened," he said. "We're all alive. We're all friends. I swear, when there's conversations going on, it's very legit, very loving. No one's hating on each other. They're very polite towards each other. Serj and Daron, when they talk, they're connected, they're nice to each other. No one's hating, no one's cussing, no one's saying 'fuck you', no one's saying 'you ruined…', 'you did this.' It's just that section that's fucked up.

"Daron brought these songs in," Shavo said, referring to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". "And we've worked that way before. A song like 'War?' was brought in by Daron — that was a Daron song; Daron brought that in, and that happened. And then there's a song like 'Sugar', where I brought that in. And there's a song like 'Question!' where Serj brought it [in]. So we have different ways of writing songs, [and] it should be like that again. But because of what's happened, I feel like it's kind of like become this big issue now.

"I think at the end of things, when we're old and gray, we're gonna look back and be, like, 'Fuck, we were idiots,' for not taking the time and seizing the day. I believe in seizing the day in everything I do, and that's what I do — that's why I'm so busy nowadays.

"Like I said, I'm telling you here, there's nothing that's happened that can't be worked out. So I always have hope. I'm doing everything knowing that SYSTEM's not dead, and it hasn't been dead."

SKID ROW frontman Erik Grönwall has released a music video for his cover of the SYSTEM OF A DOWN classic "Chop Suey!". The track was produced by Philip Näslund, who also played all instruments on the recording.

Erik, who made his recording debut with SKID ROW on the recently released studio album, "The Gang's All Here", spoke to The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show about how he has been accepted by the band's fans since he joined the group last year as the replacement for ZP Theart. He said: "There's so many different types of fans. I've realized that… 'Cause when we did the show in California, [some] people came up to me after the show, and they were, like, 'Sebastian [Bach], you've still got it.' [Laughs] Yeah, that happened. Then you have the fans who still think that Sebastian is in the band, and then you have the fans who know the whole story."

Erik went on to say that he isn't bothered by the fact that some fans are still clamoring for a reunion of the band's classic lineup.

"I understand the fan perspective of wanting the original lineup — I understand that — because I'm a Bon Scott guy myself," he explained, referencing AC/DC's late singer. "But I think that people are really excited about this new album, and I feel like even the people who want the original lineup are actually starting to approve."

He added: "When I joined this band, I realized that it's such a privilege to have people so interested in the band, talking about the band, discussing everything. A lot of bands would kill for that, and that's a privilege. You have all these people talking about SKID ROW and they like that singer or they like that song or they like that era, and that's just incredible, having people so excited about it or hating it. [Laughs]"

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT singer Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by Theart, the South African-born, British-based singer who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

"The Gang's All Here" arrived in October via earMUSIC. The group recorded most of the LP 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 auditioned for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life", joined SKID ROW in January 2022. Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years, played his final gig with SKID ROW in February 2022 before being officially given the boot.

Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

In September 2021, Grönwall announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."

In September 2021, Grönwall released his cover version of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

In a new interview with Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's RockSverige, Richie Faulkner, who joined JUDAS PRIEST in 2011 as the replacement for K.K. Downing, was asked to name his favorite PRIEST album that he didn't play on. The guitarist responded: "My favorite PRIEST album is 'Defenders Of The Faith' (1984). We were talking about how we perceive things differently. For me, it was that experience of being taken somewhere else. What the songs were about. 'The Sentinel', it took you to a different place. You could almost see some of these songs and the stories they were telling. I like that experience and I got that from 'Somewhere In Time' (1986) from IRON MAIDEN, 'Master Of Puppets' (1986) from METALLICA.

"For me, it's always been 'Defenders Of The Faith'," he added. "Obviously I've got a different relationship with the songs on the albums I've created with the band."

Asked if he ever wakes up and just goes, "Fuck, man, I'm in JUDAS PRIEST," he said: "Of course. Every day. It's been a life-changing opportunity and experience and one of the reasons why you and me are talking today is because of my history with JUDAS PRIEST. I've got them to thank for everything. I've got them to thank for the opportunity for being considered to play with them and all the lessons I've learned over the years. It's been a life-changing experience and an incredible opportunity. It makes me the guitar player that I am today, and I can't thank them enough for it and also the fans that trusted in them and me to do the job when I joined the band. They've been nothing but incredibly welcoming all around the world. Every day I wake up and this is a product of that opportunity from them and I can't help but be grateful for that to the end of my days."

In September 2021, Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during PRIEST's performance at the Louder Than Life festival, just a short distance from Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. It took the hospital's cardiothoracic surgery team, led by Dr. Siddharth Pahwa and also including Drs. Brian Ganzel and Mark Slaughter, approximately 10 hours to complete the surgery, an aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement with hemiarch replacement.

Two weeks after his surgery, Faulkner told reporters about how he felt while performing "Painkiller" with his bandmates at Louder Than Life: "I became a bit light-headed. It didn't go away. I've never fainted before. I've never passed out, but I knew that this felt like I was going to pass out in a minute.

"Luckily, it was about half way into the song," he continued. "So obviously, I had to finish the song. If I had known how important it was, maybe I would have got off there a bit quicker. But I think that's the whole point for me. I had no idea whatsoever what it was."

Faulkner said that he experienced a sharp pain as he was stepping off the stage. "That's when it exploded," he said.

"The more I read about it, the more astonishing it is to me to think that I even made it to the hospital," he added. "The amount of time when I actually go the pain and when I turned up in the hospital and when we were actually operating, it was quite a lot of time. The more I read about it, the more unbelievable — that amount of time — I don't know how I'm still around today."

Aortic aneurysms are "balloon-like bulges in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso," according to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control. Dissections happen when the "force of blood pumping can split the layers of the artery wall, allowing blood to leak in between them."

After Louder Than Life, JUDAS PRIEST postponed the remainder of the U.S. dates on its 50th-anniversary tour, dubbed "50 Heavy Metal Years". The shows were rescheduled for March and April 2022.

Last September, Faulkner revealed that he underwent a second heart surgery in early August 2022 to fix "a hole in the repair." He added: "There was a leak — I'd basically sprung a leak in there — and it was causing a sack to form around my heart. So they found it just before the European leg [of PRIEST's 2022 tour].

Richie was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho joined UGLY KID JOE on stage last night (Thursday, May 11) at RISE Rooftop in Houston, Texas to perform a cover of the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Earlier this month, UGLY KID JOE kicked off its first U.S. tour in 27 years. Support on select dates is coming from FOZZY, with PISTOLS AT DAWN opening all concerts.

UGLY KID JOE is touring in support of its latest studio album, "Rad Wings Of Destiny", which came out last October.

"Rad Wings Of Destiny" saw UGLY KID JOE re-teaming producer Mark Dodson who was behind the desk for the band's debut album, "America's Least Wanted", which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.

Speaking to France's Loud TV about the "Rad Wings Of Destiny" album title, UGLY KID JOE frontman Whitfield Crane said: "I love JUDAS PRIEST. UGLY KID JOE has a penchant for poking a little humor into the universe — the universe needs a little humor — and also giving respect to things that we love. So we love JUDAS PRIEST. We're from California. We say 'rad' all day long. So 'Rad Wings Of Destiny'."

Regarding how first single "That Ain't Livin'" came together, Crane said: "I wrote the riff in Greece. We worked on the song as a band in Mallorca, Spain. We tracked the song in El Paso, Texas. And then we couldn't finish all the vocals in El Paso. So then I found myself living in Lisbon, Portugal. And I flew to London to meet the producer and I tracked the vocals in London."

Asked if the rest of "Rad Wings Of Destiny" is musically similar to "That Ain't Livin'", Whitfield said: "Well, it's hard for me to describe it, 'cause I'm so close to it; I'm really close to it. But yeah, the first track, 'That Ain't Livin''… Also we love old-school AC/DC; I mean, I love for AC/DC. I wrote the riff for 'That Ain't Livin'' on an island in Greece and I had the riff. And so we wrote that song. And it's really an homage to 'Powerage'[-era] AC/DC. So that's that song. But there's nine other songs, and there's a lot of different frequencies that we're embracing."

As for the lyrical themes covered on "Rad Wings Of Destiny", Crane said: "'That Ain't Livin'' is just — if you feel stuck in a nine-to-five rut, stop. Embrace life… We cover a version of THE KINKS' 'Lola', which is really cool; we did great on it. But I'll let the thematic structure of the album, I'll let that remain a mystery for someone to figure out themselves. I think if I project what I think it is, sometimes that takes away from somebody feeling what it is for them."

After a 15-year hiatus, UGLY KID JOE reformed in 2012 and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The band released the EP "Stairway To Hell" in 2012 and the full-length "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" in 2015.

Three years ago, Crane told Eonmusic about UGLY KID JOE's huge success on the back of single "Everything About You" in 1991: "'Eye of the storm' is a good way to put it, because it just was all happening at a deadly fast gait. And it was a lot — it was beautiful and also very challenging, because there's a lot of people that surround the business of music that are full of shit. But when you're 23 [or] 24, you don't know how to negotiate that, so on one hand, it was super fun and we did all the things you should do at that age, and on the other hand, it was too much for me. But we survived it, and I can deal with it all now."

Former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and MARILYN MANSON drummer Brandon Pertzborn has officially joined THE OFFSPRING. He made his live debut with the band last night (Thursday, May 11) at the Zielbau Arena in Winterthur, Switzerland.

Earlier today, Brandon shared a few photos from last night's concert and he included the following message: "It's official! I've joined THE OFFSPRING! My first show was last night in Switzerland and it was INCREDIBLE. @offspring".

In addition to SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and MARILYN MANSON, Brandon has played with HO99O9, Corey Taylor (from SLIPKNOT),DOYLE (from MISFITS) and BLACK FLAG.

Following the beat of a heart-driven passion, Pertzborn set out on a journey to pursue his desire to be a drummer at the age of 12.

Brandon has played with many bands and has spanned several genres of music. "Learning something from every musician is so important," he stated to PearlDrum.com, adding, "I love constructive criticism; it's how I continue to grow and improve. I learn something new about music every day." Brandon expanded his repertoire of instruments to guitar, bass and piano. "Since learning to play guitar and piano, I've grown so much more as a drummer," he said. "It's reshaped the way I play drums and has taught me how to interact and gel with other musicians. I've always thought of myself as a musician — not just a drummer."

Brandon inspires those around him through teaching when not on tour. "I love seeing the passion for music in people because it reminds me of myself. Every day I learn something new about drumming and I love passing along everything I learn to others." Brandon added, "I will always be appreciative of Ludo Baccherini, an accomplished touring drummer, composer and producer, who helped teach and guide me when I was just starting out, and I want to do the same for other aspiring musicians."

When not performing live, Brandon enjoys spending creative time in the studio. He’s been fortunate to have written and recorded with several bands and independent artists, and has worked with talented producers such as CJ Eriksson, Dave Fortman, Doug Grean, Greg Ginn and Doyle from the MISFITS. "I'm so thankful for the gift of music and never take this gift for granted," he said.

Pertzborn announced his exit from SUICIDAL TENDENCIES last month, writing on his Facebook page: "For the past (almost) two years, I've been so unbelievably fortunate to play with the almighty SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Musically and personally, it's been some of the best times of my life. Every single person in the band/crew will be lifelong friends of mine and they have all filled my heart with joy these past couple years.

"I've learned so much during my time with ST — as a person, and as a musician. As a person, I can't say enough good things about everyone in this camp — it's a true family. As a musician, the amount of growth I've experienced is priceless. I mean, come on – you can't be in a band with Mike Muir and not end up being pushed as a musician and come out better than you were before.

"The thing about life is, there comes a time when you have to make decisions — hard decisions — and they're never based on one factor alone; they're based on many factors: where you are in life, where you've been, where you want to go, what's best for you at the time, what you think the future will look like, and so many other personal factors. And with this, I've made the difficult decision to leave SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

"Rest assured, the band will still be firing on all cylinders. My boy, Greyson Nekrutman is an absolute monster and is going to KILL it with ST. They all have my full love and support.

"As for me, I'll have more news soon! I ain't stepping away from drumming anytime soon. In the meantime, I can't thank everyone involved enough in SUICIDAL TENDENCIES for everything. Man, what an honor it's been. I'll always look back on this time and smile."

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BREAKING BENJAMIN guitarist Jasen Rauch spoke to Janna of 97.9 WGRD in Grand Rapids, Michigan about the band's plan for the follow-up to 2018's "Ember" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are working on music. We've been writing for quite a while. And regardless of whether we were able to record anything or not, we've been writing for a little over a year, I would say. We kind of keep the bar pretty high for ourselves as far as the standard moving forward. We've been experimenting with some things, throwing some things out, started over a couple of times, and are getting to a place where we're pretty happy.

"So, yeah, we've been in the studio," he continued. "We did some in Nashville. We've done a lot of stuff remotely. Ben [BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Benjamin Burnley] and I have dozens and dozens of voice memos going back, 'Hey, try this. Try this.' And we'll record something and send it back and forth. But, yeah, we're looking forward to it. And hopefully we'll have something out soon for everybody to hear."

The members of BREAKING BENJAMIN are no strangers to the upper echelons of the rock charts. Since bursting on to the scene with 2002's "Saturate", the band has amassed an impressive string of mainstream rock radio hits, with 10 songs hitting No. 1, numerous platinum and multi-platinum songs and albums, billions of combined streams worldwide and a social imprint of over 6.5 million — a testament to the band's global influence and loyal fan base. Their most recent release, "Aurora", gave BREAKING BENJAMIN their tenth No. 1 song at rock radio with "Far Away ft. Scooter Ward".

BREAKING BENJAMIN's last studio album, "Ember", debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 and marked the multiplatinum band's fourth Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200, following 2015's No. 1 debut for "Dark Before Dawn" (gold),2009's "Dear Agony" (platinum) at No. 4 and 2006's "Phobia" (platinum) at No. 2. "Ember" spun off two No. 1 hits at Active Rock Radio with "Red Cold River" and "Torn In Two". "Aurora" and "Ember" charted Top 10 across numerous countries worldwide and topping charts across multiple genres, including Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Digital Albums.

"Aurora" was released in January 2020. The disc features reimagined versions of the band's biggest and most popular songs with special guests including Lacey Sturm (ex-FLYLEAF),Scooter Ward (COLD) and Spencer Chamberlain (UNDEROATH),to name a few.

Two weeks ago, METALLICA kicked off its "M72" world tour 2023-2024 with two spectacular performances at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands with support from ARCHITECTS and MAMMOTH WVH on night one and Floor Jansen and ICE NINE KILLS on night two. The career-spanning sets featured the live debut of "If Darkness Had A Son" and "You Must Burn!" along with songs off their newest album "72 Seasons", including "Screaming Suicide", "Sleepwalk My Life Away" and the title track "72 Seasons". In total, METALLICA performed 32 different songs taken from its 11 studio albums.

Professionally filmed video of the "You Must Burn!" performance from METALLICA's April 29 concert in Amsterdam can be seen below.

METALLICA is visiting a total of 22 different cities around the world and playing two nights in each city.

The trek sees the band playing two nights in every city it visits — with each "No Repeat Weekend" featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.

Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

METALLICA promises fans who purchase a two-day ticket that they won't see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs spanning the band's 40-plus-year career.

Each weekend offers a variety of "Enhanced Experiences", ranging from access to a meet-and-greet, production and stage tour, food and beverage in the "Black Box" lounge to early entry into the venue and the Snake Pit. The very popular "Black Laminate" is back, now known as the "I Disappear Ticket", and is the ultimate pass for the fan who wants to run away with METALLICA for multiple weekends.

A single "I Disappear" ticket purchase gives you access to as many of METALLICA's 46 headlining tour dates across Europe and North America in 2023 and 2024 as you choose. You decide how many shows you'd like to attend around the world, and for how long, and METALLICA will make it as easy as possible.

According to Billboard, "72 Seasons" sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marks the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

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

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

Speaking of the album-making process, Ulrich explained: "It's one of the only things that hasn't changed in 40 years. There'll be a whole slew of riffs and jams and sound checks, then it falls into my lap to go through them and identify, 'That one's great, that one's good, maybe there's a song over here.'"

Regarding the fact that guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo were given writing credits on more than half of "72 Seasons", Hetfield told the Associated Press: "All four guys were on the floor when we were writing, which is new for us. Usually it's just Lars and I sitting out there hashing it out. It felt really great to have the energy of all four. There's a lot more democracy on this album. Lars and I gave up the steering wheel a little more than usual."

Hammett agreed, saying: "It was much more collaborative. The attitude was just more open. There is less limitations on everyone's creativity and I think that shows."

In the seven years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna recently spoke to Pete Bailey of Primordial Radio about his band's decision to focus on touring and no longer release new albums following the arrival of "Lighting Up The Sky" in February. Regarding how long he and his bandmates plan to keep performing, Erna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a lot of bands that have much more veteran status than we do — the AEROSMITHs, THE ROLLING STONES, the METALLICAs, the FOO FIGHTERS. Some of those bands, it may be in their blood to the point where — obviously with THE STONES; I mean, what are they? A hundred and six years old now? They're never gonna stop. I mean, they're probably gonna die in a roadcase. I don't want that for me and my life."

Sully continued: "There's other things that I wanna enjoy. And the things that I wanna enjoy and some of the guys in the band really love are the simplicity of life. And that's the stuff we've been deprived of our whole lives. So most people just work their jobs — they get up, they make their kids breakfast, they go to work, they come home, they spend time with their family and do the things that they do. And this life that we live is kind of a fantasy life for them; it's not really a reality. They see that as a whole different kind of lifestyle where we look at the simplicity of their lives and go, 'Those are the things that we crave. Those are the things that we'd like to spend our time doing.' And that's what I'm kind of looking forward to."

GODSMACK kicked off its 2023 U.S. tour on May 4 at the 107.9 KBPI Birthday Bash at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado.

This past March, GODSMACK and STAIND announced a 25-city co-headlining 2023 tour, produced by Live Nation. The trek kicks off on July 18 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri, with stops across the U.S. before wrapping up in Austin, Texas at Germania Insurance Amphitheatre on August 31.

"Lighting Up The Sky" was co-produced by Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has dropped $500,000 from the initial asking price of his Las Vegas mansion.

Kerry put the home in a section of the Las Vegas Valley known as Enterprise on the market in January 2022 for $4.8 million, but that price came down in April 2022 to $4.478 million and in September 2022 to $4.299 million.

According to Realtor.com, King bought the house in 2020 for $3.819 million.

A 2022 video tour of the property, courtesy of the Sherwood Luxury Group, can be seen below.

In January 2022, the New York Post reported that Kerry and his wife, Ayesha, purchased a condo in Tribeca, a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, for $3.65 million. The renovated 3,522-square-foot home was on the market for 45 days. It comes with $4,572 monthly common charges.

Check out pictures of the property at this location.

Ayesha King broke the news of the couple's move in an Instagram post in November 2021. She wrote: "I suppose it's time to tell you all that the King and I have moved to NYC ( back home for me, excited to be near my family again ). I figured I'd beat some acquaintance's friend buddy who it heard it from a guy to announce it and think he's cool. I served my time on the west coast for 18 years. Time to be back in the best city on earth."

Kerry's SLAYER bandmate Gary Holt was one of the musicians who congratulated the couple on their new residence, writing in the comments section: " No fucking way!!! Congrats on the return home!" TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, wrote: "Heck yes. C u guys around!"

In October 2021, Kerry made headlines in the metal world when he said that SLAYER retired "too early." While recording a short video message to congratulate MACHINE HEAD on the San Francisco Bay Area act's 30th anniversary, SLAYER's founding guitarist said: "So, I hear congratulations are in order for my friends in MACHINE HEAD. Apparently, it's 30 years, which is quite an achievement. Not a lot of bands get there. We did, and then we quit too early. Fuck us. Fuck me. I hate fucking not playing."

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Ayesha said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances. In August 2020, she once again shot down the possibility of her husband and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya sharing the stage ever again under the SLAYER banner.

After Ayesha shared three photos of Kerry holding their cat in slideshow-type Instagram post, a fan wrote: "No Tom, No SLAYER Kerry. Stop thinking SLAYER without @tomarayaofficial". Ayesha then replied: "don't worry, they'll never be SLAYER again! You can rest easy".

That same month, SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph confirmed that he is involved in a brand new project headed up by Kerry King. The duo spent much of the last year and a half working on music with the hopes of recording it properly once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.

In a new interview with the 93X radio station, GHOST leader Tobias Forge was asked how he felt when he first saw the video of METALLICA vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield jamming the GHOST track "Cirice" during a 2018 rehearsal session at METALLICA's headquarters. The footage showed Hetfield playing the intro and riff from the song, which originally appeared on GHOST's 2015 album "Meliora". "Awesome. Of course," Tobias said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I guess that's the ultimate sort of circle. Hetfield, everything he's done, basically… He was a very early influence for me and keeps on being one. And going from a childhood hero to now a mentor and friend and colleague, if you will, and then having that sort of… receive back in the form of that flattery is amazing, of course. That humbles you."

In a 2019 interview with Impericon, Forge said that METALLICA is "one of the most important bands for me — has been for a long time. Definitely a band without whom I probably wouldn't do these things," he said. "I wanted to be a rock musician before I knew, or before I was enamored with METALLICA, but they definitely inspired me. When I was a kid and liked THE ROLLING STONES and PINK FLOYD and Jimi Hendrix and all that, they were clearly from another time doing something that sort of belonged to the past, whereas METALLICA, when I started listening to them, they were very much current and they were very now. They were the biggest band in the world at that time, and still are. But they inspired me in many, many ways. And nowadays, of course, I get the amazing opportunity to be inspired and be taught, firsthand, by a band that I've spent so many years learning from from a distance."

Back in 2017, Forge told BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P. Carter" that some of the first "really big shows" he ever saw were METALLICA concert. "That also set a standard," he said. "So now, being mentored by those bands and being close to them and close to their crew and watching that operation, it's, for me, very, very inspiring, and I'm happy that I have the luxury of seeing that. METALLICA was also one of my brother's favorite bands, so there's definitely moments where — because he passed away, basically, just before GHOST happened — so there's definitely moments there where it's… You have that feeling of, 'Look at this. I'm here watching this. Being asked to… I just played on this stage now. There's James Hetfield playing that song.'"

GHOST's cover version of the METALLICA classic "Enter Sandman" was included on 2021's "The Metallica Blacklist", a massive 53-song collection featuring covers of every track off METALLICA's self-titled breakthrough album.

Forge founded GHOST nearly a decade and a half ago and has written almost all of the group's music, while also performing for years in costume as first Papa Emeritus and later Cardinal Copia. His real name was a mystery for the first few years.

EYE AM, the new band featuring former TYPE O NEGATIVE members Kenny Hickey (guitar/vocals) and Johnny Kelly (drums),along with Kirk Windstein (guitar, vocals; CROWBAR, DOWN, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Todd Strange (CROWBAR, DOWN),will release its debut single, "Dreams Always Die With The Sun", on June 2 via Corpse Paint Records. A music video for the track was recently filmed by Mike Holderbeast and will make its online debut on the same day. A preview is available below.

Windstein says about the track: "For me, I just love jamming and writing songs with talented people. Of course, I've jammed with Todd Strange since the '80s, so I knew that would be great, but having the opportunity to get together with Kenny and Johnny was exciting. I was a little nervous at first, but once we started putting the song together, I had a great feeling we were on to something special. I love the song, and can't wait to write some more with these guys."

Hickey adds: "Well, we didn't really know what would happen when we got together. I had a few riffs and half-finished ideas, and I recorded them and sent them to Kirk and he wrote some ideas off of that. I think because we're all around the same age, it echoes the music we grew up with, which was mostly '70s hard rock and metal. It has a classic rock quality to it. I hear some Hendrix in there as well. It's really satisfying when you throw musicians and riffs into a pot and then listen back to hear what comes out of it. It's somehow less contrived sounding, I think. It could have also hit the wall and ended up a disaster, which adds an element of risk to it as well. But I think we came out with something really cool."

"Dreams Always Die With The Sun" was recorded in February in Gainesville, Florida. The recording sessions were overseen by bassist Roger Lima of LESS THAN JAKE at his studio called The Moathouse.

In a recent interview with Moshpit Passion, Windstein stated about how EYE AM came together: "We're friends, and I'm a huge TYPE O fan. A friend of ours, Andrew Spaulding, has an independent label called Corpse Paint Records, and he kind of brought it all together, like, 'Hey, guys, I really wanna get you all in a room together and see what happens.'

"We have one song," he continued. "But it came out great. We've got a video that'll be coming out soon. We had a lot of fun. So I'm sure we'll do some more writing together. It was fun."

In addition to their work with TYPE O NEGATIVE, Hickey and Kelly had previously collaborated in a band called SEVENTH VOID, which released one full-length album, "Heaven Is Gone", in 2009, and SILVERTOMB, which issued "Edge Of Existence" in 2019.

In a 2018 interview with Rock And Roll Fables, Hickey stated about his chemistry with Kelly: "I've been working with Johnny long before TYPE O. I met Johnny probably in 1986. TYPE O formed in 1989, so we were already in a thrash band together. Basically, we grew up and learned everything the wrong way together and had to work it out over the course of the years. [Laughs] For me, it's completely natural with him. We got better at it. Dude, you do something for 35 years, I hope you're getting better at it."

Original CROWBAR bassist Strange returned to the band in 2016 for the touring cycle in support of the band's "The Serpent Only Lies" album.

Strange, who originally left CROWBAR back in 1999, stuck around for two years before departing once again to focus on his family life.

CROWBAR frontman Windstein, who also plays in the New Orleans supergroup DOWN, released two albums with HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta under the KINGDOM OF SORROW banner. Kirk's debut solo album, "Dream In Motion", arrived in 2020.

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CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has confirmed the return on drummer Stanton Moore for its new album. The "brutal-sounding" follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" is tentatively due in 2024.

In an interview with Eonmusic ahead of the kick-off of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's European tour in Dublin, bassist Mike Dean and guitarist Woody Weatherman spoke about the loss of drummer Reed Mullin, who passed away in January 2020.

"It's a shock when you really realize [that he's gone for good]", said Dean. "Yeah, it was kind of a shock, yeah. Such an important musical contributor. Definitely an innovator. You can't replace him, for sure."

Added Weatherman: "Nobody really plays like Reed. But it's all part of moving forward. We miss him."

On the decision to bring back Moore, who played on 2005's "In The Arms Of God", the pair were enthusiastic.

"We've been down to New Orleans and had a little writing session," Dean said. "We got together and picked it up pretty much where we left off." Weatherman added: "We turned the embers over a couple of times, rebuilding the fire."

On what Moore is bringing to proceedings, Mike said: "He's amped to do it, and he's got his indomitable style, so that's a good way to follow up the last one, for sure."

On how the drummer came to be involved once again, Woody said: "He kind of spearheaded it, if recollection is clear, because him and Pepper [Keenan, guitar/vocals], they both live in New Orleans. He expressed his interest, and we were, like, 'Yes, that would be awesome, if, you know, if you got the time.' I mean, we'll make up time and we'll do it."

As for the sound of the album so far, Mike offered: "It's hard to say. I think you'll hear some new ideas, but I think you'll hear a little bit of the 'In The Arms Of God' vibe because that's where we're picking up with, in terms of jamming with Stanton. And he'll have his Stantonisms."

Weatherman added: "It's pretty brutal sounding. We're jamming a couple up that show promise. I mean, you never know what will happen."

Read the entire interview at Eonmusic.

When Dean first confirmed to MetalSucks last November that Moore would appear on the upcoming effort, he said: "History repeats itself all these years later. Stanton played on 'In The Arms Of God', and I think he's going to be working with us again for the next record. Having him aboard, I think you need to get a little nerdy to describe it because Stanton has got his own particular way that he wants to play. He wants to play kick drums in his jazzy way and likes to have the drums heads up front, so it's more of a traditional-sounding thing. And all of Stanton's fills are very second-line sounding, and he has these little phrases that are unique to him."

When asked if Stanton will join CORROSION OF CONFORMITY as a permanent replacement for Reed Mullin, Dean said: "Stanton is a different animal than Reed — we learned that back when we did 'In The Arms Of God' — and he brings an entirely new dynamic to the band. Stanton will take these straight, New Orleans-influenced, second-line things and throw them into a metal song; there's no stopping it. If you've seen Stanton Moore with GALACTIC, you'll know what I'm talking about. He's got his take, man. He's a character. But this isn't like Stanton joining the band per se, and I'm not sure that he would come out on the road and play with us because he's busy. It's more that Stanton is a good friend of ours, and we love working with him when we can when our schedules all sync up. Plus, Pepper and Stanton have known each other since they were little. It felt right to do another album with him because we loved what he did on 'In The Arms Of God', and we wanted to make this first record after Reed passed special. So, stay tuned, and we'll see how it all comes out."

Last October, Keenan told Guitar World that he still loves "No Cross No Crown". "It was a really fun experience to do and the last thing we did with Reed, unfortunately. So, it holds a special place in my heart. We're very happy with it."

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside guitarist Woody Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

Asked how Reed's passing affected him and the rest of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, Pepper told Guitar World: "We lost our left arm. It was very hard to find a drummer. We have John Green [on tour with us], who is fantastic, but you just can't replace people like that. Other people have gone through it, too — but it's not easy. You spend decades with a person writing, and you don't even have to look at them; it just comes out. This was the first time we had to regroup in a long time and try to do it with a different drummer. We've got that figured out, so now we're getting ready to focus on that."

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

The new Tigertailz single, "You Can’t Stop The Rock", is now available from all the usual digital outlets. It is the first new music written by the band since their Blast album in 2016.


Guitarist Jay Pepper comments: "We wanted to put out something fun and entertaining, paying homage to the '80s classic rock era, and this track captures that vibe perfectly."


This fits in with the band’s upcoming special guest appearance on Steel Panther’s Ireland dates later this month, and then a headline show at The Underworld, Camden – June 3rd.




According to xsrock.com, Tigertailz are currently re-recording a selection of their finest tracks from their back catalogue for a Best Of Volume I and II’ Album compilation, due for release end of 2023.


Check out "You Can't Stop The Rock" below.





In December 2022, Cardiff, UK-based rockers, Tigertailz, welcomed Power Quest/Dendera frontman, Ashley Edison, as their new vocalist.


It's said certain metals cannot be mixed, they cause corrosion. Surely this is true when trying to meld together a power metal vocalist and the UK's most prolific glam metal band?


Guitarist/founder Jay Pepper: "Some things should never happen, and yet when Ashley came to the studio and began singing 'Sick Sex', the mountains in Wales started to rumble, an earthquake was happening, and his voice was causing it! From that moment I knew people had to hear it. Ashley singing Tigertailz songs is like a jet engine running on Nitroglycerin!"


Ashley Edison: "I am SO excited to be joining the legends in Tigertailz! A band that not only inspired so many but still put on a hell of a show! When I was with Jay singing Sick Sex, everything just felt right and fell into place perfectly! The guys have been so incredible to work with and I can't wait to get going on some exciting future projects together!"





The band released Bezerk's "Sick Sex", reworked and accompanied by a powerful video depicting stereotyping of women and the dark world of S&M. The single is available from all the usual digital outlets.





The band have also announced their first live show for 2023, taking place at The Underworld in Camden, London on Saturday, June 3.

Guitarist Phil X (Bon Jovi, Phil X & The Drills) has shared a Q&A new video, answering a question submitted by a fan. Check it out below. 





On March 25 at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California, Michael Anthony (Sammy Hagar & The Circle, ex-Van Halen) headlined a fundraising event/concert benefiting Save The Heartbeat, a non-profit organization that exists with a mission to fight to improve the lives of those affected by congenital heart disease (CHD).







Michael was joined by Sammy Hagar, Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X, and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses) and John 5 (Mötley Crüe), among others. Fan-filmed video can be viewed below.














Planet Rock recently reported that Michael Anthony has formed a new four-piece band with Bon Jovi guitarist, Phil X.


Also a member of the as-yet-unnamed musical project is drummer John Douglas, who has been filling in for Joey Kramer at Aerosmith live shows since 2019. Michael also revealed the band’s lineup will be completed by a “really, really cool” vocalist, who will be revealed at a later date.


Appearing on Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk on Wednesday (March 22), Michael announced his new band when he was asked if he would form a new act if Sammy Hagar ended The Circle.


"Well, I wasn't going to mention anything about it, but there is a little side project thing that I've kind of been speaking to some people, and might be doing a couple of things with,” he said.


“I don't wanna get ahead of myself and mention too much, but it might involve Phil X and John Douglas, who you know as (the touring drummer) for Aerosmith right now. I've known J.D. for many years, since he's worked with Van Halen. What a great guy.”


Commenting on the band’s frontman, Anthony added: “We do have a singer. I don't wanna mention any names, but a really, really cool singer. And we're recording just for fun right now, some stuff. That's all I can say."


Stay tuned for updates.

In the fan-filmed clip below, Extreme performs at the Royal Theatre during the Monsters Of Rock Cruise on May 3. Despite sustaining a knee injury during a basketball game, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt decided to go through with the show, though he did have to sit down shortly into the set.


The setlist was as follows:


"#Rebel" (live debut) 
"Decadence Dance" 
"Li'l Jack Horny" 
"Rise"
"Play With Me" 
"Midnight Express" 
"More Than Words" 
"Cupid's Dead" 
"Am I Ever Gonna Change" 
"Hole Hearted" 
"Flight Of The Wounded Bumblebee" 
"Get The Funk Out"







Multi-platinum hard rock heroes Extreme’s single, “Rise”, has seen unprecedented success following its debut on March 1 alongside a fiery music video which has received over 2 million views to date. The critically acclaimed song, from their new album SIX, out June 9 via earMUSIC, has earned praise from international top tier media outlets, in addition to accolades from such fellow musical peers as Brian May and radio personality Howard Stern while peaking at #3 on the Classic Rock charts.





The band - Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger (bass), and Kevin Figueiredo (drums) - recently shared two new singles along with dazzling videos to accompany each: “Banshee” and “#Rebel”.


“Banshee” is a seductive classic hard rock tune with a chugging rhythm section, playful guitar wizardry and electrifying vocals that testify to the power and inspiration of the female form and spirit. “#Rebel” takes on scathing so-called keyboard warriors with its head-nodding beat and searing dive bomb lead guitar runs catering to the harder edges of Extreme's sound.


“We’re calling out those trolls who can’t back up their words,” explains Cherone.


Find both videos below.


On SIX, Extreme swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. For the recording of the Bettencourt-produced 12-track album, the members buckled down at his home studio in Los Angeles to channel the electrifying eclecticism that defined their seminal output with a 21st century twist.


This dynamic affirms the iconic Boston quartet as one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups whose songs course through the very fabric of popular culture. They’re the rare band whose music has appeared in an actual cult series a la Bill & Ted as well as the Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things. They’ve sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, their dynamic approach hits harder than ever on their 2023 full-length offering, SIX.


Pre-order SIX here.





SIX tracklisting:


"Rise"
"#Rebel"
"Banshee"
"Other Side of the Rainbow"
"Small Town Beautiful"
"The Mask"
"Thicker Than Blood"
"Save Me"
"Hurricane"
"X Out"
"Beautiful Girls"
"Here's To The Losers"


"Banshee" video:





"#Rebel" video:





"Rise" video:

Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen has checked in with the following message to her fans:


"Feeling the love not only on stage, but also in the charts! To chart with Paragon in multiple countries, let alone Germany and UK, is amazing! So grateful to all of you who made it happen!"


Paragon chart e tries are as follows:




- Germany Album Charts: #19
- UK Official Independent Albums Chart: #12
- UK Independent Album Breakers Chart: #3
- UK Physical Albums Chart Top 100: #38


Floor released Paragon on March 24. Paragon showcases Jansen's impressive vocal range and powerful voice on a diverse collection of pop-infused tracks and emotional ballads influenced by the sounds of her career. The album has something for everyone and is a must-listen for fans of Jansen.


With its mix of influences and powerful vocal performances, Paragon is an album that will appeal to fans of pop music and metal alike. It's the perfect addition to any music collection, and a must-have for fans of Floor Jansen and Nightwish.


Paragon is available digitally and physically on CD, vinyl, and a limited edition deluxe box set. The album is available on all major streaming platforms and at music retailers worldwide. You can order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"My Paragon"
"Daydream"
"Invincible"
"Hope"
"Come Full Circle"
"Storm"
"Me Without You"
"The Calm"
"Armoured Wings"
"Fire"


"Daydream" video:





"Me Without You" video:





"Storm" video:





"Fire" video:





"Invincible"

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo cover of Gary Moore's "Nuclear Attack", taken from the 1983 album, Dirty Fingers. Check it out below.





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:

Germany rock legends Scorpions have unearthed more vintage video, this time of the rare performance of the Virgin Killer track “Pictured Life” from Kaléidospop on May 7, 1977.





Check out the previously uploaded performance of  "All Night Long":







Catch Scorpions live in concert on the dates listed below.





May
14 - Westfalenhalle - Dortmund, Germany
16 - SAP Arena - Mannheim, Germany
19 - Zag Arena - Hannover, Germany
21 - Schleyer Halle - Stuttgart, Germany
23 - Mercedes Benz Arena - Berlin, Germany
28 - Hall Tony Garnier - Lyon, France
31 - Zenith - Toulouse, France


June
2 - Hallenstadion - Zürich, Switzerland
5 - Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
7 - Winning Group Arena - Brno-Střed, Czech Republic
10 - Atlas Arena - Łódź, Poland
12 - Royal Arena - Copenhagen, Denmark
14 - Avicii Arena - Stockholm, Sweden
17 - Song Festival Grounds - Tallinn, Estonia
19 - Žalgirio Arena - Kaunas, Lithuania
22 - Ergo Arena - Gdansk, Poland
25 - Štark-Arena - Beograd, Serbia
28 - Romexpo - Bucharest, Romania
30 - Midalidare Rock In The Wine Valley - Mogilovo, Bulgaria


July
6 - Festival les Déferlantes Sud de France - Céret, France
11 - Icónica Sevilla Fest at Plaza de España de Sevilla - Sevilla, Spain
16 - Altice Forum - Braga, Portugal

The Richard Hoffman Live Music Channel has uploaded video of Glenn Hughes's May 6 performance at Valand in Gothenburg, Sweden. Check it out below.

Hughes, the former bassist, and singer of DEEP PURPLE, known to millions as the "Voice Of Rock", and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, has just launched the "Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live - Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of The Album Burn" tour.

Glenn is performing DEEP PURPLE's legendary rock album "Burn" and is also playing DEEP PURPLE MKIII and MKIV songs.

Glenn's band features Søren Andersen (guitar),Ash Sheehan (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keyboards).

"It was 50 years ago, in the summer of 1973, that the 'Burn' album by DEEP PURPLE was written at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean Gloucestershire," reminisced Glenn. "It was recorded in October in Montreux, Switzerland. We all became one in this centuries old castle in the U.K. countryside, it felt like DEEP were a new band, with David [Coverdale, vocals] and I as new members, we couldn't wait to start working on new songs. The atmosphere was electric, in such amazing surroundings.

"All the songs on 'Burn' were written in the crypt/dungeon, underneath the great hall," he continued. "We worked on a new song every day, and we were in the flow. Musically we would play, and work out ideas, and David and I would come up with vocal melodies that would later have lyrics. I remember it like it was yesterday.

"As you could imagine, Ritchie Blackmore [guitar] was in full prankster mode, Jon [Lord, keyboards] had warned me, and he rigged my room one night with a speaker that was hidden, and had ghostly voices delivered to my bedside.

"The title track was the last song to be written. We came back from the pub, and went down into the crypt, and magic happened."

Concluded Hughes: "It's time to celebrate 'Burn', and I'm really looking forward to seeing you."

"Burn" is the eighth studio album by the English rock band DEEP PURPLE, written and recorded in 1973, and released in February 1974. The album was the first to feature then-unknown Coverdale on vocals and Hughes, from TRAPEZE, on bass and vocals. "Burn" was recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, in November 1973, with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. With the addition of Coverdale and Hughes, DEEP PURPLE's hard rock sound incorporated elements of soul and funk, which would become much more prominent on the follow-up album, "Stormbringer".

The phenomenal "Burn" title track started things off at full throttle and challenged the seminal "Highway Star" for the honor of best opener to any DEEP PURPLE album, while showcasing the always-impressive drumming of Ian Paice. The fantastic slow-boiling blues of "Mistreated"'s greatness qualifies it for the highest echelons of hard rock achievement, and therefore ranks as an essential item in the discography of any self-respecting music fan.

"Burn" hit No. 3 on the U.K. albums chart, No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and No. 1 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Norway.

In 2004 "Burn" was remastered and released with bonus tracks. "Coronarias Redig" was recorded during the "Burn" recording sessions, used only as a B-side for the "Might Just Take Your Life" single in 1974. It appears as a bonus track (in remixed form) on the anniversary edition re-release. The 2004 remix version of "Burn" was later used in "Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock".

In 2005 an unauthorized documentary about the album was produced as part of "The Ultimate Critical Review" series. It featured a brand new interview with Hughes.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD played its first concert since June 2018 last night (Friday, May 12) at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The band's setlist included the live debut of three songs from AVENGED SEVENFOLD's upcoming album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which will be released on June 2 via Warner: "Game Over", "We Love You" and "Nobody".

The setlist was as follows (according to Setlist.fm):

01. Game Over (live debut)
02. Afterlife
03. Hail To The King
04. We Love You (live debut)
05. Buried Alive
06. So Far Away
07. Nobody (live debut)
08. Nightmare
09. Chop Suey! (SYSTEM OF A DOWN cover) (snippet)
10. Bat Country
11. Unholy Confessions (song cut short due to injury in crowd)
12. Mattel (snippet)
13. A Little Piece Of Heaven

Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

Last month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the "Life Is But A Dream…" 360-degree immersive album experience at AREA15 from May 11 through May 14.

Experience the band's first full-length album in seven years three weeks before its official release, exclusively at this once-in-a-lifetime event. Dive into 11 new songs from the multi-platinum headliners and famed heavy metal rock band with grand, immersive visuals and an exclusive curated merch pop-up shop celebrating their genre-bending new album set to release on June 2, 2023.

Says AVENGED SEVENFOLD: "We're excited to announce our #LifeIsButADream… 360º Immersive Album Experience at @AREA15official in Las Vegas from May 11-14. Be the first to experience our new record, three weeks before its official release, as it's meant to be heard - in its entirety from start to finish."

Tickets are available now at Area15.com.

In a recent interview with I-Rock 93.5, AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ spoke about how he and his bandmates evolve musically on every album while still maintaining the core AVENGED SEVENFOLD sound. He said: "It's not a conscious thing. Pretty much every record that we've always done, we challenge ourselves to sound different and do something different. Like I said, we've done it every time in our career. Each time you do that, we put so much of us into creating that art that it becomes part of our DNA. And whether we know it or not, it's still there in the next writing process and the next writing process and the next writing process. So much so that at this point — we all talk about it internally — no matter what we say… We can say we wanna sound like the craziest hip-hop thing or a classical thing or whatever, but once you put it through us, it goes through the quote-unquote AVENGED SEVENFOLD filter. And that's just us. That's where you get that character of AVENGED SEVENFOLD, really.

"So, to answer the question, it's not like a direct thought of, like, 'Oh, no. We went too crazy. Let's bring it back and make it more AVENGED-y.' It's, like, no. We're going for it," he continued. "This is what it sounds like when we go for it.

"We have distinct players in this band. You've got a lead vocalist like M. Shadows — a very distinct, awesome voice. You've got the guitar work of Synyster [Gates] and Zacky [Vengeance] — just so distinct. And who's gonna mix up Brooks Wackerman's style with anybody else? It's just we have a bunch of unique players together that I think no matter how far out we go, it's gonna fall into that uniqueness anyway, and it just sounds like AVENGED SEVENFOLD by the end of the day."

Written and recorded over the span of four years, "Life Is But a Dream..." was inspired by the writing and philosophy of Albert Camus. Accordingly, the lyrics are rooted in existentialism and absurdism.

Last month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the second leg of its extensive "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE. Produced by Live Nation, leg two includes stops in Nashville, Denver, Austin, and more before concluding at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on October 15. Fans will have the opportunity to hear the group's first single in seven years, "Nobody", and their new album "Life Is But A Dream…" for the first time live during the 30-show outing.

The first leg with support from ALEXISONFIRE includes thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more. The group kicks off their 2023 solo touring run with two unique one-night-only arena shows in New York and Los Angeles this June.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio. The band is equally known for their spectacular live shows, selling out arenas and headlining the world's most prestigious rock festivals.
Why not... https://t.co/hG84oaZdBmpic.twitter.com/uDDFwgF3eQ

— Avenged Sevenfold (@TheOfficialA7X) May 11, 2023