King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, are back with their latest Sunday Lunch video. Watch below.


A message states: “This week we’re going back to when Robert Fripp tried his hand at table dancing. Be warned, you cannot unsee this!"







Meanwhile, Toyah & Robert's Sunday Lunch is going on tour throughout the UK in September and October. The couple will be accompanied by a live band, with Fripp on guitar.


Tickets are available here.





Says Toyah: “When people ask, 'What is the show going to be?', it’s going to be about the hundred years of musical experience we have between us.”


Watch the "Toyah At Home" video below, where Toyah and Robert introduce the tour concept:

KIX vocalist Steve Whiteman has opened up about the band's announcement that it will retire after more than 45 years, telling Metal Edge in a new interview: "It might seem sudden, but this is a decision that I made around a year ago. I gave it a lot of thought, decided, and announced it to the guys in the band and our booking agents. I knew at that point that I was probably going to be done by the of 2023. It's been 45 years of nonstop rock 'n' roll, travel, and hanging out, and I don't have the time to commit to it anymore. I'm 66. I've got neuropathy in my feet. I'm tired."

Asked if drummer Jimmy Chalfant's recent health scare — he collapsed onstage seven months ago after suffering a cardiac arrest — expedited the process for him, Steve said: "For sure. When Jimmy collapsed in November, that put a whole new perspective on things. It was the sort of thing that got me thinking, 'How much longer do we want to do this?' And if I'm being honest, I was ready to give up and go home then and there. But everybody rallied and pushed me to keep going and finish the dates we had booked. That's when we decided to go until this coming September. We knew we had these summer days, and Jimmy — once he felt good enough to get onstage — put his foot down and said, 'September is it for me.'"

On the topic of whether KIX guitarist Ronnie Younkins — who has been unable to tour with the group for the past couple of years after repeatedly getting in trouble with the police due to his battle with alcoholism — will be part of the final show (Ronnie is being replaced in KIX by Bob Paré),Steve said: "Bob is definitely going to be part of the show. The hope is that Ronnie will be there as a guest player. But I don't even know if anybody's talked to Ronnie yet. We're hoping and assuming he'll come up and do a couple of songs with us. We hope he does because it would be amazing for our fans. I also think we'll call up Brad Divens, who played on the 'Cool Kids' album."

For its recent live appearances, including the Monsters Of Rock cruise, KIX had been using drummer Matt Starr, who has previously played with Ace Frehley, MR. BIG and BLACK SWAN, among others. Asked if Jimmy's heart is healthy enough to wrap this up, or if Starr will remain on standby, Whiteman said: "Matt's on standby, but Jimmy feels pretty confident he can do this. He was on the recent cruise with us and came up and did a few songs at the end of the set. He feels great, has been practicing at home, and is ready to do these final summer shows we've planned. We love Matt, but having Jimmy is so important to us. But the thing with that is Jimmy will not be able to do background vocals. He feels that if he plays drums and sings simultaneously, his heart rate increases to a point that makes him nervous. So, we'll miss that a lot, but we'll get Bob to sing more."

KIX's last-ever concert will take place on September 17 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

The Baltimore-based act, which formed in 1977, announced its plan to call it quits during an appearance on Sunday (May 7) at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Chalfant rejoined his KIX bandmates on stage for two songs — "Cold Blood" and "Blow My Fuse" — during the band's set on April 30 aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. It marked his first live appearance with KIX since he collapsed onstage. Chalfant also performed with KIX at the M3 Rock Festival.

On November 18, 2022, Chalfant suffered a cardiac arrest during KIX's concert at the Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, Virginia. Chalfant was unconscious and carried offstage before performing the last song of the show.

Paré is an accomplished musician who studied at the Music Institute in Los Angeles and taught music theory and guitar at several institutions, including Western Maryland College and Maryland Institute of Music.

Bob was a session musician for several independent label releases, and has spent most of his long career performing live in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area with various bands, including FORCER, EVER RISE, PROJECT: EUPHORIA and, most recently, the RUSH tribute band SUN DOGS with KIX bassist Mark Schenker.

KIX was founded in 1977 and released its first, self-titled album on Atlantic Records more than 40 years ago. Their breakthrough came with 1988's "Blow My Fuse", which sold nearly a million copies, thanks to "Don't Close Your Eyes". The band continued to ride the hard-rock wave until 1995, when KIX took a hiatus. Nearly 10 years later, KIX reunited and started touring regionally. A 2008 performance at the Rocklahoma festival led to more gigs and the release of a live DVD/CD called "Live In Baltimore" in 2012. In 2014, KIX released its seventh full-length album, "Rock Your Face Off", the band's first studio effort since 1995's "Show Business". The album debuted at No. 1 on Amazon's Hard Rock and Metal chart, in the Top 50 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 5 on the Independent Albums chart, No. 11 on the Top Internet chart, No. 17 on the Top Rock Albums chart, No. 27 on the Indie/Small Chain Core Stores chart and No. 33 on the Physical chart.

KIX released "Can't Stop The Show: The Return Of KIX" in October 2016, a two-disc DVD/CD set that entered the Billboard Top Music Video Sales chart at No. 3 and rose to the No. 1 position, the band's highest-charting debut and first No. 1 ever in their 35-year history. The 71-minute film offered an in-depth look into KIX's decision to record their first new album, in almost 20 years.

In 2018, KIX celebrated the 30th anniversary of their biggest album, "Blow My Fuse", with "Blow My Fuse Re-Blown", a two-disc set with a remixed/remastered version of the album, along with the original demo recordings for all 10 songs. The reunion with longtime collaborator Beau Hill for this remix sparked the initiative to revisit "Midnite Dynamite" and take a similar approach to updating KIX's legacy.

On the 35th anniversary of the release of "Midnite Dynamite", KIX released "Midnite Dynamite Re-Lit" in November 2020. For "Midnite Dynamite Re-Lit", KIX partnered with Hill for a blistering update of the fan-favorite album.

Photo credit: Mark Weiss



MAJOR KIX ANNOUNCEMENT: News from KIX lead Steve Whiteman live on the M3 Rock Festival stage tonight at Merriweather Post Pavilion:

“After 45 years of doing this I think we’re gonna call it a career.

Not tonight, but we’re gonna do a show here September 17!

We’re gonna do one big final rock and roll show in the area, because you guys deserve it.

So September 17 will be our final show, and we’re lucky enough to be doing it here.

We love you guys, and we wanted to let you in on it.”

Posted by Mark Strigl on Sunday, May 7, 2023

Scot Coogan, a veteran session drummer who has played with Ace Frehley, LYNCH MOB, Lita Ford, Stephen Pearcy and L.A. GUNS, rejoined the original KISS guitarist on stage for the first time in five years on April 29 at Reg Lenna Center For The Arts in Jamestown, New York. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channel Marcus Leeper).

Prior to launching into the KISS classic "Love Gun" at the Jamestown show, Ace introduced Scot, telling the audience: "I don't know if anybody noticed, but I got my old drummer back, Scoty Coogan. He played with me for 10 years; then we parted company. Actually, this is the first time we've played together, this weekend, in five years."

On Friday (May 5),Scot shared an Instagram photo of him sharing the stage with Ace in Jamestown and he wrote simply: "And … This Happened …"

Back in October 2018, Frehley spoke to SiriusXM's "Jim And Sam" about his decision to part ways with the solo band that had backed him for several tours: Richie Scarlet on guitar, Chris Wyse on bass and Coogan. He replaced them with musicians who backed him and KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons on an Australian tour that year: Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals and Philip Shouse on bass/vocals. He later also recruited Matt Starr on drums.

Speaking about how his former bandmates took the news that they were being replaced, Ace said: "It wasn't a big deal with Chris Wyse, because he's been working with the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, playing bass, and he's also been doing some solo shows with Joe Perry. He's one of the most sought-out bass players in Los Angeles, so he was pretty cool about it. My drummer, Scot Coogan, he didn't take it too well."

Recalling the conversation with Coogan during which he informed the drummer that he was being relieved of his duties, Frehley said: "I told him I was moving on with Gene's cover band and 'I'm not gonna need you anymore at this juncture.' He goes, 'Ace, c'mon! What are you talking about?' He goes I'm his rock star. 'You're losing a rock star,' he says. Okay — whatever you say. Then he's hitting me up for money."

According to Ace, the "hardest" person for him to fire was Scarlet "because his wife [Joann had] just passed away. And I knew she didn't have very much time to live, because she had Lou Gehrig's Disease [ALS] and there's no cure," Frehley said. "So I was procrastinating for a week not to call him. Finally, I got enough guts up to call him, and he was so drained, because he had been at the hospital every day and so on and so forth. After I told him, he just couldn't grasp it with everything else surrounding his… what he was going through. So he pretty much hung up on me. But I've known Richie the longest — 35 years — so I let a day or two go by and I called him back one evening a couple of days ago, and we made up. He apologized for hanging up for me. We discussed and reminisced about old times. He reminded me that I dated his wife before he did. [Laughs]"

Frehley went on to describe Joann as "a wonderful woman" who "really enjoyed life," adding that "her and Richie had so much fun together and had met so many people."

After his second conversation with Scarlet, Frehley says Richie told him "Ace, whatever's best for you, I want you to go ahead and do it." Ace also revealed that he was covering half of Joann's funeral costs.

According to Ace, the harmony vocals he wanted to hear from his solo group never materialized until he started playing with his most recent lineup. "It just wasn't there," he said. "Chris Wyse, I love him — he's one of the greatest bass players in the world — but he's really not a lead singer. Scoty is the only really lead singer."

Asked if he is good at firing people, Frehley said: "No. I hate it. I don't actually like being a boss. I remember the days I was in KISS where I didn't have to get involved with the business that often. [Paul Stanley and Gene] were more business-orientated, where me and Peter [Criss, drums] were more party-orientated. I didn't fire anybody [while I was in KISS], I don't think."

Coogan offered his version of how the latest split with Frehley happened during a November 2021 appearance on the "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" podcast. At the time, he said: "[Ace] called me and said, 'I've gotta use Gene's band. I wanna try to get back into KISS. I've gotta use Gene's band. He's making me use these guys from Nashville.' And I was, like, 'That's fine.' We had the Kiss Kruise coming up; it was at the end of 2018. And it was right before that. Richie's wife was on her death bed. And it was just terrible timing for him to do what he did. And I said to him — I think I texted him and said, 'You're losing rock stars.' Chris Wyse is from THE CULT, and Richie Scarlet's the Rock And Roll Emperor. So I said, 'You're losing rock stars.' But he said in an interview that I said, 'You're losing a rock star,' talking about myself. [Laughs] And that's what was [posted] on Blabbermouth. I slept over at Alex's house, at [Alex] Grossi's, and he goes, 'You're on the front of Blabbermouth, buddy. Wake up.' And I was, like, 'What?' And it says [about] Scot Coogan leaving Ace Frehley [that I said], 'You're losing a rock star.' I never said that. It's just so funny how things get twisted."

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In his latest Fire TV clip, Firewind guitarist Gus G. goes through some of the pedals that he currently has in his home studio. Check it out below. 





Gus G., Michael Angelo Batio, Rowan Robertson, and Andy Martongelli have teamed up for the Electric Guitarlands tour, which has been on the road in Europe since April 20th.




Description: A fantastic musical evening with four of the best guitarists in the world of rock music, performing for more than two hours of entertainment.


Michael Angelo Batio, the legendary Chicago shredder, former member of Nitro, is currently the guitarist of Manowar. Gus G., the great Greek guitarist was a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band from 2009 to 2017 and is the frontman of Firewind. At the age of 17, Rowan Robertson was recruited by Ronnie James Dio to join his band. Suddenly, he escalated from obscurity to worldwide fame. Andy Martongelli, one of the best known Italian shredders, guitarist, composer, producer and teacher, member of the David Ellefson band.


A unique evening with a set list that, along with songs from the solo careers of these great performers, will also be full of classics from legendary bands such as Van Halen, Pantera, Black Sabbath, Dio, Megadeth and more. The legendary double neck guitar solo of Batio will  be part of the show as well.


The band is completed by Francesco Caporaletti on bass (The Gang, Vinnie Moore), Roberto Pirami on drums (Vinnie Moore, Michael Angelo Batio band) and Riccardo Curzi on vocals.


Remaining dates:


May
8 - Meisenfrei - Bremen, Germany
10 - South Of Heaven - Bilzen, Belgium
20 - Teatro Mercantini - Ripatransone, Italy


For tickets and further information, head here.

Temple Of Mystery Records has confirmed July 5th as the international release date for Serpent Corpse's striking debut album, Blood Sabbath, on CD and Vinyl LP formats.


Hailing from the ever-rising Montreal death metal scene, Serpent Corpse are at once foreign and familiar. Blood Sabbath, their full-length debut following a demo in 2021, on first glance feels resolutely old school: straightforward songwriting, analog production, little flash but full fire. And indeed, Serpent Corpse do show noble influence from the very early '90s - foremost among them, the world-eating enormity of classic Bolt Thrower and vigorous D-beating of early Entombed - but along with another set of tweaked influences and, more so, a maniacal manner in which to pursue them, the Canadian quartet prove that the idea of traditional all-caps DEATH METAL is undying and infinite.


The further one steps into the ichor of Blood Sabbath, the more those tweaks take shape - Darkthrone during their death metal days, Seance skewing death 'n' roll, the DM-in-glue of classic Cianide, or especially Autopsy's transition into Abscess - and the more the exemplary songwriting truly begins to shine...or ROT, as it were! For this nine-song / 39-minute album sounds as slimy as it does headbanging - and those singed 'n' seared leads are the definition of haunting! Coupled with powerfully clear annunciation from vocalist / guitarist Andrew Haddad, and mesmerizing cover art courtesy of Lucas Korte, Serpent Corpse deliver one of the most essential death metal debuts of recent memory. A festering death awaits!




Blood Sabbath artwork and tracklisting:





"Spell Of The Eternal Serpent"
"Electric Eye"
"Nemesis"
"Let The Rats Feed"
"Land Of Rot And Misfortune"
"Crucifxion Shrine"
"Swallowed Whole By The Abyss"
"Dreams Of Crows"
"Blood Sabbath"





Pre-order your copy of Blood Sabbath now via Bandcamp or Temple Of Mystery.


Serpent Corpse will be playing an album release party on July 15th at La Sotterenea in Montreal, QC. 





 

London born death / thrash champions The Bleeding return in full force to bring you their third full-length album, Monokrator, set for release on June 9, 2023. 


After forming in 2010, the band released their first EP, Death Eternal, in 2013 and, after a major line-up change, released their first full-length album, Rites Of Absolution, in 2017.


The Bleeding's resume also boasts a collaboration wit UK black / speed / thrash hero James McBain (Hellripper), on the title track from their 2021 EP, Rise Into Nothing.




On their latest album, Monokrator, The Bleeding combine thrash elements, comparable to latter day Exodus / Destruction, with the ferocity of Demolition Hammer, and a vocal attack akin to Jeff Walker and Chuck Schuldiner, to create a blitzkrieg-like listening experience, complete with a full frontal assault. Monokrator is a flag-planting statement that will put the UK back on the map when it comes to quality thrash.





Tracklisting:


"Chemical Lobotomy"    
"Chainsaw Deathcult"    
"Mutation Chamber"    
"Union Of Horror"    
"Screams Of Torment"    
"On Wings Of Tribulation"    
"Monokrator"    
"Throes Of Repulsion"





Pre-order your copy of Monokrator now via Bandcamp or RDR.


  

Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) and Todd Kerns (Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Toque, The Age Of Electric) have revealed that they have teamed up with Adam Hamilton (L.A. Guns) in a new band called Blackbird Angels.


Blackbird Angels will release their debut album, Solsorte, in September 2023. The cover artwork can be seen below.







The exact release date and tracklisting have yet to be announced.


On October 27, 2022, Todd Kerns and Tracii Guns, along with bassist Robbie Crane (Vince Neil, Ratt, Black Star Riders) covered Aerosmith's "Toys In The Attic" aboard KISS Kruise XI. Fan-filmed video can be enjoyed below.





 

German power metal band, Helloween, will be Inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame. The ceremony will take place on stage at Terminal 5, New York City, May 20.


Known as one of the most influential European heavy metal bands, Helloween  have performed at festivals and concerts alongside Iron Maiden, David Lee Roth, KISS, Megadeth, and Guns N' Roses, among others.


"Helloween have helped establish the origins of the power metal genre," says Metal Hall Of Fame founder/CEO Pat Gesualdo. Power metal is such an important part of the heavy metal community as well. We are proud to induct Helloween into the Metal Hall Of Fame and have them to help represent the power metal genre, and all it's fans throughout the world."




“It´s truly an honor to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame! Being listed next to some of the biggest bands in rock & metal makes us very proud and is rewarding our work as "The Ambassadors of Power & Melodic Metal" for the last four decades,” comments Michael Weikath on behalf of the whole band.





Often referred to as the "Fathers of Power Metal", Helloween has released 16 studio albums, three live albums, three EPs and 30 singles. The German based band have 14 gold and 6 platinum records, and sold over 10 million records worldwide. Helloween are known as one of the "Big Four" of the "Power Metal" genre, along with Blind Guardian, Sabaton, and DragonForce.


The Metal Hall of Fame is dedicated to forever enshrining the iconic musicians and music industry executives responsible for making Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they continue to inspire fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.


The Annual Metal Hall of Fame Celebrity Gala is held every January in C.A. As a 501(C)(3) Non Profit organization, all proceeds from Metal Hall of Fame and D.A.D. events bring free music programs to help special needs children and wounded veterans.


The Metal Hall of Fame Voting Process is derived by fans of all genres of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, along with the Metal Hall of Fame voting committee. Fans can cast their vote all year round for their favorite artists, bands, producers, and music industry executives via the Metal Hall of Fame website.


For more information, please contact info@themetalhalloffame.org, or call 973-263-0420.


(Photo - Martin Häusler)

Veteran harbingers of technical death metal, Cryptopsy, have officially signed with Nuclear Blast Records. The world's heaviest label welcomes one of Canada's most ferocious bands with plans to release their first album in over a decade later this year.


Commenting on the the signing, vocalist Matt McGachy states: "We are truly excited to have joined Nuclear Blast's roster. Many of the bands we love and a bunch of our friends have released killer albums via Nuclear Blast. Back in 2012, we became an independent band. Now in 2023, we have decided to team up with one of the most influential metal labels. We are eager to be showcased alongside the world's best metal acts and can't wait to unveil the next era of Cryptopsy as a Nuclear Blast artist."


Details of Cryptopsy's long-awaited eighth album and return to the forefront of death metal will be revealed in the coming months.

Originally hailing from Montreal, Cryptopsy officially formed in 1992 and has since been anchored by long-time drummer extraordinaire Flo Mounier. Over the last three decades the band has become a revered and influential pinion in North America's underground metal scene. Groundbreaking albums like Blashphemy Made Flesh (1994), None So Vile (1996) and Once Was Not (2005), helped define the genre of technical death metal, while the band's intense, earthshaking live shows garnered them a rapid following around the world. Now signed with Nuclear Blast, the band begins the next chapter of their legendary career, ready once again the break necks and pierce the eardrums of metal fans everywhere.




(Photo - Mihaela Petrescu)

The official Johnny Carson YouTube Channel, found here has shared footage of ZZ Top making their first appearance on live television, on The Tonight Show. The original airdate was May 16th, 1986.


ZZ Top performed "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Tush". Check it out below.







On March 26th, music icon Billy Joel performed at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. In the middle of the show, Joel welcomed ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons to the stage and the band performed the ZZ Top classics "La Grange" and "Tush". Check out fan-filmed video below.  

More than a week 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 "Screaming Suicide" performance from METALLICA's April 27 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".

There has always been a strong link between the pioneering MOTÖRHEAD and mighty METALLICA. A unique bond of friendship between the two has stood over the decades, with METALLICA even playing Lemmy's 50th birthday party in 1995. In turn, MOTÖRHEAD have paid homage to some of METALLICA's finest compositions, even winning a Grammy Award for their cover of "Whiplash" in 2004. However, their cover of one of the most iconic hard rock classics of all time, "Enter Sandman", has been largely overlooked until now. Originally recorded for an ECW wrestling compilation in 1998 (which was also nominated for a Grammy),the song has been unavailable outside said CD — until now.

In a new animated video for MOTÖRHEAD's version of "Enter Sandman", take a horrifying nocturnal journey through the nightmares of a child who is haunted by the evil sandman in his dreams, and is ultimately saved by the powers of the inimitable MOTÖRHEAD "Warpig". The clip was produced by Mulberry Creative.

MOTÖRHEAD's "Enter Sandman" is also available on all streaming platforms now, including Dolby Atmos on Apple Music and 360 Spatial Audio on Amazon. There's also an exclusive, limited-edition seven-inch single with etched Warpig B-side with exclusive merch and bundles, available in the official MOTÖRHEAD store while stocks last.

METALLICA paid tribute to MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy on its 2016 album "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which came out less than a year after the iconic rocker's death. "[It's] a song called 'Murder One', which was the name of [Lemmy's] amplifier, his favorite amp on stage," METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told the 95.5 KLOS radio station. "And I loved being murdered every night by that thing, man. He was just such an icon, such an inspiration to us as a band. There's certainly no way we'd be around if there was no MOTÖRHEAD. And, you know, to see your idol, your immortal one, actually be mortal, it hit us pretty hard. So I felt, lyrically, it makes sense to acknowledge him and how much he's meant in our lives."

In a separate interview with SiriusXM, Hetfield stated about the inspiration for "Murder One": "MOTÖRHEAD had a lot to do with METALLICA sitting here right now. But just Lemmy as an entity, as kind of a father figure, he helped us a lot. He was unafraid. And he was a character. And he was himself. And we all respected that so much. He did his own thing to the last breath. No matter who you are, how could you not be inspired by that?"

Shortly after Lemmy's passing, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich penned a lengthy tribute to the MOTÖRHEAD mainman in which looked back on the influence Lemmy had not just on METALLICA but also on him personally.

MOTÖRHEAD won the "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 2005 for its cover version of the METALLICA song "Whiplash".

At a 1995 gig at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, members of METALLICA celebrated Lemmy's 50th birthday by taking the stage as a wigged tribute band dubbed the LEMMYS.

In a 2011 interview with Metal Insider, Lemmy said: "You can't top METALLICA. They're really a fucking excellent band. I'm delighted that they said that I was one of their influences. Like, they have all of their influences, and you can't hear the influences in them, which is great. They've become their own people, and that's great. I like them a lot. I've spent a lot of time with those boys."

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has shared a 24-minute video recap of his experience on this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise.

The five-day/five-night full-ship music charter set sail April 29 - May 4 aboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner Of The Seas and departed out of Port Canaveral, Florida. Dubbed They Came From Outer Space, the voyage included two days at sea full of music (including performances from over 35 artists) and events, as well as visited two ports: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and the Private Isle of Labadee.

Says Pearcy: "Follow us on our 5 day cruise to the Dominican Republic with the MORC Cruisers! 2 shows and a full day of Island adventures make this action packed video a very fun watch!"

In addition to performances, Monsters Of Rock cruise 2023 hosted interactive events between artists and cruisers, including artist/cruiser Q&A sessions, Gong Show Karaoke, "So You Think You Can Shred," Cooking With Rock Stars, a new cast of Painting With Rock Stars, Rock Stars vs. Average Joes basketball, Comedy Punchlines and Backlines. Furthermore, the cruise hosted themed nights, opportunities to dine with selected bands, and artist photo experiences.

The first port stop on Monsters Of Rock cruise 2023 was the breath-taking beauty that is Puerto Plata. Dominican Republic's oldest city in the north and a tourism pioneer, Puerto Plata is nestled by the ocean with a mountainous backdrop. The city offers a lively pier (known as the Malecon),colorful shops, and opulent homes from the 1800s. Next up was the Private Isle of Labadee, the ultimate private destination for cruisers, offering adventure, exploration and relaxation amongst its many bars and pristine waters.

A leader in cruise charter innovation, Monsters Of Rock cruise has sailed over 30,000 passengers in the last 11 years. The principals of Monsters Of Rock cruise have deep roots in the music industry, providing world-class cruise ship production management for celebrities and musical artists for decades. Monsters Of Rock cruise has set the industry standard for themed music cruises and fan experiences and has played a key role in the development of ground-breaking theme cruise concepts.

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DISTURBED frontman David Draiman says he deleted his account on Tinder, calling it "an absolute shitshow".

Last week, Draiman confirmed that he was using the dating app to find "the right woman" following his recent divorce. But earlier today (Monday, May 8), Draiman offered an update on his search for romance, writing on Twitter: "Holly fucking dumpster fire Batman, @Tinder was an absolute shitishow. Scammers, grifters, fakes and phonies abound. What a colossal fucking nightmare. Deleted it. Dear lord."

On Friday (May 5), one of Draiman's Twitter followers shared a screenshot of what appeared to be the singer's Tinder profile, and he wrote: "Lol dude you see this?! I'm tagging you bc I believe it's fake @davidmdraiman". David quickly responded: "Not fake lol. It's me". This prompted the fan to write, "My bad bro for assuming", to which Draiman replied: "All good. You'd be surprised. It's hard for a guy like me to meet the right woman. I'll tell you, it's been weird so far. Lots of scammers. Trying to figure out how to navigate this new terrain."

Another fan also chimed in on Draiman's presence on Tinder, writing: "Read: David Draiman can't get laid anymore." Draiman fired back with: "I can get laid anytime I want if I'm willing to drop my standards, but my standards are quite high, and I won't dishonor myself that way. Looking for the RIGHT woman, not just ANY woman. Oh. And btw? You're a dick".

Last month, Draiman confirmed that he recently finalized his divorce from his wife of 11 years, Lena Draiman.

The 50-year-old singer opened up about his split in an interview with Kyle Meredith. Speaking about why DISTURBED continues to make music and stay creative after being together for nearly 30 years, David said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Therapy. [Laughs] It's as pure and simple as that. Right now for me it's the most effective form of therapy.

"I'm very much looking forward to the performance end of things, which is coming up shortly, but the creative end is the perfect way to come to terms with your demons, and I'm definitely stocked up," he explained. "I need this, and I need the music — creating it, performing it, living it — right now more than I ever have.

"I just recently finalized my divorce. I just recently said goodbye to my Akita [dog], my best friend of 14 years. There's gonna be plenty of inspiration for the next body of work. Battling depression, battling all the demons that normally come along with it. And I know that music — our music, other music like it and different types of music in general — is just the perfect means of therapy for so many other people. And it really is my saving grace. I don't know what I would do without it."

Draiman touched upon his divorce again later in the interview when the conversation turned to the DISTURBED song "Don't Tell Me", which appears on the band's latest album "Divisive". A duet with HEART's Ann Wilson, the track was inspired by DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan's own recent divorce. "Mine hadn't been finalized yet [when the song was written]," David revealed. "And to be honest, when I wrote the song, I didn't realize how prophetic it was going to be. I kind of hate that shit. [Laughs] It ended up becoming not just about Dan's divorce, unfortunately. It wasn't exactly the same situation, but I definitely have added reverence for the song, and it has added meaning and power to me, especially now."

When David first announced his divorce on his Facebook page in February, he described himself as "heartbroken" and "very lost" and revealed that there was "no infidelity" involved in the split. He went on to say that there was "no bad blood" between him and his now-ex-wife and added that they would "continue to be the best parents" we can be to their son Samuel, who was born in September 2013. "Lena is still the best mother I could ever hope for, so we've got that going for us," he wrote at the time. He added: "I will continue to try to be the best father, and frontman that I can be, and I hope that Sam can forgive me one day for my part in this failure."

Last November, Donegan told the Z93 radio station that DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren also "went through a divorce early on in the pandemic."

A little over a year ago, Draiman and his then-wife and son moved to Miami, Florida after living in Honolulu, Hawaii for a few years.

Draiman first announced his family's decision to relocate to Miami in February 2022, explaining on his Facebook page that he and his then-wife "gave it our best shot, but between the extraordinarily long travel times for business, island fever, and a bunch of other factors, we've decided to move on." He also shared a link to a video tour of his then-Honolulu home which had just been listed. That house has since sold for more than $6 million, according to public records.

Draiman is currently selling his house in the Miami suburb of Pinecrest for $5.5 million. He put the home on the market on January 26 for $5.75 million, but that price came down on March 17 to $5.5 million. David paid $5.225 million for the home back in March 2022.

"Divisive" came out last November. The LP was recorded earlier last year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.
Holly fucking dumpster fire Batman, @Tinder was an absolute shitishow. Scammers, grifters, fakes and phonies abound. What a colossal fucking nightmare. Deleted it.

Dear lord. pic.twitter.com/Y9qMqhyY0g

— David Draiman 🟦 (@davidmdraiman) May 8, 2023

METALLICA was nominated for the very first "Hard Rock/Metal Performance" Grammy in 1989, but famously lost to JETHRO TULL, a band distinguished mainly by its heavy use of flute. Fans — and even some audience members — were rightly outraged, though TULL's record label tried to make light of the faux pas by placing a Billboard ad that read, "The flute is a heavy, metal instrument."

Asked in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station where he keeps his Grammy, JETHRO TULL leader Ian Anderson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, my son actually found it a few years ago. It disappeared for about 20 years, and he stumbled upon it. He came down [and said], 'What is this?' And I said, 'That's the Grammy. Where did you find that?' And he said, 'Oh, it was in one of the bedrooms upstairs, in a cupboard somewhere.' And I said, 'Well, there you go.' And since I have not seen it advertised on eBay, I must assume that he actually returned it to the cupboard that it came from. But I haven't seen it again since. I haven't gone looking for it."

Regarding why he doesn't display his Grammy Award at his house, Ian said: "I am not disparaging or negative about peer-group accolades. It's very nice to have people enjoy your work, especially when it's the five thousand voting members of the National Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences. But it's not something that I want to revel in. I am not a trophy hunter. You don't find Grammies in my house displayed or gold albums on the wall or the head of a moose that I have shot with a large-caliber rifle. I'm just not that kind of a guy. I don't do trophies."

A little over a year ago, Ian was asked in an interview with the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95 if he ever got a chance to "to rub in the face of METALLICA" the fact that his band won a "Hard Rock/Metal Performance" Grammy over the San Francisco Bay Area heavy metal giants. He responded: "Well, I think METALLICA were actually very gentlemanly. At the time, they did say, when they did win the Grammy next year, as I predicted they would, they took out a page in Billboard thanking the record company, their friends and family for supporting them, the dog — I mean, they thanked everybody, including JETHRO TULL for not releasing a new album that year. They had a sense of humor about it. They took it on the chin even though everybody was busy telling them they were gonna win a Grammy and then, unfortunately, that year they didn't. But they were the hot new act, and surely they were gonna win it the following year, and, of course, they did."

Four years ago, on the 30th anniversary of that fateful day, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich took to his Instagram to reflect on his band's first Grammy loss, writing: "Today 30 years ago, February 22 '89, we played the Grammys for the first time and that was quite a mindfuck!!

"First time we were in front of a mainstream TV audience. First time mainstream America was exposed to whatever the hell it is we do. First time they had a hard rock/metal category on the Grammys. First time we were Grammy losers, since JETHRO TULL, somewhat unexpectedly to most people, walked away with the win.

"But all was not lost. The expressions of disgust from most members of the audience (other than Iggy!) is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. And I was rocking some pretty crazy hair that was edging dangerously close to a mullet! Happy days indeed!!"

After METALLICA lost the 1989 "Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Recording" Grammy to JETHRO TULL, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS),parent company of the Grammys, separated the two genres in 1990 by creating categories for "Best Hard Rock Performance" and "Best Metal Performance". METALLICA won the "Best Metal Performance" award the next year, for "One", and has earned nearly a dozen so far.

When METALLICA's "Black" album won another "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 1992, Ulrich "thanked" JETHRO TULL for not releasing an album in that year.

In a 2012 interview with Powerline, Anderson recounted that historic day when his band was given the award for best hard rock/metal performer.

"I probably get [the question] a lot more when I'm talking to American writers than I do [at home in England]," Anderson said. "It's not really a big deal over here. It was in a year where it was a new category for 'hard rock' forward slash 'metal' and that category still exists today … and we were, for some strange reason, nominated. And at the time, no one paid any attention to the fact that we were nominated. There was not a peep out of anyone. Because they thought there's no way JETHRO TULL are gonna win it. Nor IGGY POP, nor JANE'S ADDICTION. It's going to be METALLICA because they were the huge, new, straight-out-of-the-box, enormous, hit talent that year and everybody took it for granted that METALLICA were gonna win the Grammy, including METALLICA themselves. And when it was ordered to JETHRO TULL, to a barrage of boos and hisses and gasps of disbelief, I'd like to think that it wasn't that the six thousand voting members of the National Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences were voting for JETHRO TULL as a heavy rock band or a heavy metal band. They gave us the award because we were a bunch of nice guys who never won a Grammy before. And sad to relate, even after all these years, there is still no category for best one-legged flute player. Otherwise, I'd be winning it every year."

DEVILDRIVER and COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara has blasted metal bands who enhance their show by using pre-recorded tracks for lead vocals and other instruments during their concerts.

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

Dez addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a new interview with Cassius Morris. Asked for his opinion on bands who use backing tracks, the vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't even fucking reserve judgment for that, because I was raised on punk rock and psychobilly and goth, and that shit is not on tape. I mean, I get it if you're Katy Perry — I get it. If you're a metal band and you're using tracks, if it's like a small, little, like a piece of something that nobody can do… Like, here's actually the example for DEVILDRIVER. We do a cover song called 'Sail' by AWOLNATION. Actually, I think our version is better. And I do it because it's… Blame it on my ADD [attention-deficit disorder] and I've suffered from ADD/ADHD [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] my whole life. But there's a girl in the background doing this high part. Obviously, no one can do that on stage. So we'll run that to a track — and not all the time, mind you. But I think when you start tracking vocals, when you start tracking bass, when you start tracking guitar, when you're tracking drums, and you're a metal band or a punk band or a blues band — all of these bands are supposed to be real bands — then we have a fucking serious problem."

He continued: "And I get it. [Say] we're on a huge stadium tour and the singer is sick tonight. He can't even sing but there's forty thousand tickets sold. Okay, all right, maybe you wanna run something on track to save the show. I get it. Or maybe there's a backup harmony that nobody can do. Okay, I get it. But when you start running the main tracks of vocals, guitar, bass, drums? Fuck off. I mean, I can't paint the picture any more than that."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg Smith, who has played bass for Ted Nugent for the past 16 years, has announced his departure from the legendary rocker's touring band.

Earlier today (Friday, May 5),Smith released the following statement via social media: "After 16 years, and many laughs and amazing times with one of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument, I am saddened to say I will be unable to be a part of Ted Nugents final tour Adios MOFO. It was a difficult decision but one that I really had no choice in. With Ted no longer touring I had to accept an offer from a tour that will continue for the next several years. I tried to get someone to cover for me for the 2nd half, so I'd be able to do Ted's tour, but I was unfortunately unable to.

"I would like to thank Ted for 16 years of some of the most serious, intense, aggressive, and fun music I've played in my career… I'll miss you guys this summer! Kick Ass! I'd also like to thank Doug Banker, Bob Quandt, Frank Trzaskowski, Toby Nugent & the crew past & present. Shemane Nugent, and the extended Nugent family for just being awesome people… Ted and band mates past & present during my 16 years, Derek St. Holmes, Wild Mick Brown, & Jason Hartless. Thanks for an Amazing Ride! See you all down the road!"

Nugent recently announced his final tour, dubbed "Adios Mofo '23". The trek starts July 12 and runs through August 20, according to Ted's web site.

In addition to being Nugent's bassist since 2007, Smith sang backup for Ted, and took lead vocals on some songs that had been sung by Derek St. Holmes in Nugent's original band.

Smith has also played bass and performed backing vocals for artists such as Billy Joel, Alice Cooper, RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW, ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, DOKKEN, Vinnie Moore, Wendy O. Williams of THE PLASMATICS, and many more. Smith was also the principal bassist and backing vocals for the Tony Award-winning Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp musical "Movin' Out" for its entire three-year run on Broadway, in addition to one year on the road.

Back in 2009, Smith was involved in a project called OVER THE RAINBOW with Ritchie Blackmore's son Jürgen "J.R." Blackmore, ex-RAINBOW singer Joe Lynn Turner and other members had played in RAINBOW during the early part of the band's career. Smith was in RAINBOW from 1994 to 1997.

After 16 years, and many laughs and amazing times with one of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument, I...

Posted by Greg Smith on Friday, May 5, 2023

In a new interview with Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk, EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland spoke about the band's plans to work on the long-awaited follow-up to 2017's "Walk The Earth" album. Asked if he and his bandmates have entered the studio to begin recording the new LP yet, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, [we're] not really in the studio. I know the other guys are [writing material]. Actually, Joey [Tempest, EUROPE singer] sent me a demo just the other day with a new song, a brand new song that he's written. A fantastic, great song, so it seems really promising. But we're not in the studio yet. Because the initial plan was to go into the studio this spring and start recording to have a new album out later on this year. But we just realized that we need to focus on the 40th-anniversary tour instead, because that's what it's all gonna be about this year. So instead of mixing it up and getting confused, and confusing the audience as well, we thought it's better to just focus on one thing, and that's gonna be the 40th anniversary."

He added: "We might be looking at recording one or maybe two new songs for the 40th-anniversary tour in the autumn. We're working on that."

Last fall, Tempest told the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast that EUROPE would start recording its next album in 2023, "together with a documentary we hope [to have] out in the autumn — a EUROPE documentary [and] a box set, hopefully, of all the albums. But definitely a 40th-anniversary tour [for the first EUROPE album]," he said. "We don't feel like we wanna compete too much without a new album, so what we're gonna do is we want to record new music and release one or two [pieces] of new music next year, and then will be the big release the following year. That's at least what we're planning right now. 'Cause there's so much going on next year. And [we want to] focus on the documentary and the 40th-anniversary tour and some other things."

Asked if the box set would contain any previously unreleased material, Joey said: "We haven't gotten that far, because the thing with EUROPE is we don't have that much extra stuff. Some bands have loads. Of course we can [include] live stuff — we can do that — but from the studio, there's not much. We've been boring like that. We come in with 12 songs and we come out with 12 songs. How did that happen? We should have 20 and taken 10 and kept 10. So, whether there's gonna be new songs involved in that, I don't think so. But the box set will a great vinyl box set with all the records, hopefully. Whether we put something else in there, we have to talk about it."

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

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

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

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

Live Nation posted a record $3.1 billion in revenue — up 73% from last year — in the first quarter of 2023. The ticket-industry giant said in a press release that over 19 million people attended events across 45 countries in the first quarter. For the first time since the global pandemic began in 2020, all of Live Nation's markets are fully open.

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is the world's leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship.

Live Nation Entertainment reported operating income of $142.8 million, more than five times higher than Q1 last year.

Concert revenue was nearly $2.3 billion, an 89 percent increase year-over-year. Sponsorship was up 47 percent to $170 million.

Live Nation Entertainment sold 90 million tickets for 2023 shows thus far, 20 percent higher than the same point in 2022.

Michael Rapino, president and chief executive officer of Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., said in the aforementioned press release: "This performance is indicative of our continued long-term growth and sets the stage for a record 2023, as we are more positive than ever about artists touring, fans attending concerts to see their favorite artists, and our role helping make this happen.

"What is clear as we look at our results and operating metrics is that global demand for live events continues to reach new heights — demand has been growing for a long time and is showing no signs of letting up. Talking to fans, they say that live experiences are the number one leisure category where they expect to spend more in the future. Naturally, this is leading to record levels of activity in both our concerts and ticketing businesses."

Rapino continued: "First, in concerts we have sold nearly 90 million tickets for shows this year, tracking more than 20% ahead of this point last year. These early sales have been driven by a record number of stadium shows and continued strong growth in arena tours. With many major tours — from Beyoncé to Drake to Bruce Springsteen — demand was so strong that even when artists added a number of additional shows, they still were not able to meet all of the fan demand.

"As a further initiative to make tickets affordable to all fans, we launched today our Summer Concert Week sale, with $25 tickets available to over 3,800 shows.

"When fans attend our shows, they continued spending to enhance their experience. While our key outdoor season has not started yet, early reads from U.S. and European indoor venues that we operate demonstrate further growth in average per fan revenue. As we provide more elevated hospitality options for fans, we have launched Vibee, which hosts destination events centered around live music and launched this week with U2 Sphere VIP packages selling out.

"We have also continued building our Venue Nation portfolio, with new venues expected to host nearly three million fans at one thousand shows this year, driving more long-term growth and profitability across all our businesses.

"Our ticketing business benefits from the same structural tailwinds as concerts, with further growth driven by our success in adding new clients, notably in international markets. As a result, we sold 73 million fee-bearing tickets in the first quarter, up 40% and delivered $7.7 billion in fee-bearing gross transaction value, up 60% vs first quarter 2022. We are seeing growth in both volume and pricing across our global markets. This holds true across all event types from concerts to sports; and from the biggest superstars to new artists.

"Our brand partners recognize that the passion for live music has never been greater, and that Live Nation provides a unique on-site and on-line platform to connect with fans in meaningful ways on a global scale. In the first quarter, we continued adding partners for 2023 and beyond including Google Pixel, PayPal, and Levi’s. With this, we have commitments for over 80% of our planned sponsorship for the year.

"Equally important, fans are embracing the value brands can provide to the concert experience, with around 70% of live music goers agreeing that brands can enhance their time at the show. Our team is the best in the industry at working with brands to develop programs that deliver value to fans, which in turn grows our brand relationships and attracts new ones.

"Our results for the first quarter demonstrate the success of our strategy and sets us up for strong growth in 2023. We expect to host a record number of fans this year, even against a 2022 comparison which benefited from rescheduled shows attended by 20 million fans. Ticketmaster should also deliver record activity, with around 600 million tickets managed globally this year. Our sponsorship business, even after incredible growth last year, looks to be on track for double-digit AOI growth again this year.

"As we then look to 2024 and beyond, we have all the necessary levers to build our flywheel globally and continue to compound AOI by double-digits for the foreseeable future."

Image credit: Danny Wimmer Presents

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was joined by KISS drummer Eric Singer and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick for a performance in Las Vegas on Saturday (May 6) as part of Gene's weekend-long VIP event.

The May 5-7 event dubbed "An Evening With Gene Simmons" is being held at the Rio Hotel & Casino, home of the Kiss By Monster Mini Golf And World Museum attraction.

Two-day tickets cost $4,955 and include a dinner at the hotel's 50th-floor VooDoo Steak, pieces of Simmons's personal collection of KISS memorabilia, a commemorative plate and a performance by Simmons's band in the Kiss By Monster Mini Golf space.

"This is for a limited number of people, 100, maybe 200, and real fans," Simmons told the Las Vegas Review-Journal when the event was first announced in March. "We're going to close the doors and spend quality time with the fans for a full day. We are taking over the entire restaurant."

Bruce, who joined KISS in 1984 and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour, shared a photo from the event on his Facebook page, saying that singer/bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz, who play with him in his solo band and are also members of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, joined him and Simmons for the performance, as did guitarist Brent Woods, who plays in Sebastian Bach's solo band.

"Gene Simmons invited Todd Kerns, Eric Singer, Brent Woods, Brent Fitz and I to perform with him today at his event," Kulick wrote. "The mentalist Gerry McCambridge opened the show. It was KISSTORY, and the fans loved it! What a show!!"

The final shows of KISS's last tour — two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York — will take place in early December.

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

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Simmons and Paul Stanley (vocals, guitar),alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.



The Gene Simmons Event Vegas Event.
GS band & friends!!

Posted by Christina Vitagliano on Saturday, May 6, 2023



Got Nothin' To Lose. Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Bruce Kulick, Brent Fitz, Brian Woods, and Todd Kearns.

Posted by Touch of Sax on Saturday, May 6, 2023



Gene Simmons invited Todd Kerns, Eric Singer, Brent Woods Brent Fitz, and I to perform with him today at his event. The...

Posted by Bruce Kulick on Saturday, May 6, 2023

Gene Simmons Las Vegas Dinner Event May4,5,6 2023
Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer guest.
Genes new band Todd Kearns, Brent Fitz, and Brian Woods!

Posted by Kisstalk on Saturday, May 6, 2023

Mark Farner, a founding member of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, has once again said that he is open to a reunion with his former band.

This past March, it was announced that GRAND FUNK RAILROAD would celebrate the 50th anniversary of its 1973 "We're An American Band" platinum single and album with 2023's "The American Band" tour.

Led by original members, drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD is slated to play several headlining shows this spring as well as serve as the "special guests" of Kid Rock for two hometown shows in Michigan at Little Caesars Arena on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15. Joining Brewer and Schacher on tour are newer additions to the band, singer Max Carl, guitarist Bruce Kulick and keyboardist Tim Cashion.

Asked in a new interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live! if he has ever had the urge to call Don and tell him that they should mend their differences and go back on the road together, Mark said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have said it in person. I have said, 'Why can't we just bury the hatchet, go give the fans what neither one of us can separate from each other. There is three people — the ingredients are three specific people. No replacement of any one of those people can even come close. But I just met with a lot of resistance. There's stuff that's… And I'm not a psychiatrist; I don't know what's going on. I know it's not love. [Laughs] It ain't love. But I have done that. I've made the suggestion at least once a year for the past 24 years, and sometimes more than that, more than once a year. Because I remember when THE BEATLES were all still alive. And I'm thinking, 'You selfish pricks.' [Laughs] 'Why don't you just get back together so I can come and see you?' 'Cause I was a BEATLES fan. There was that anointing on them, like there was on Elvis [Presley]. But they took that and did something else with it. People do that; they'll just flop over and [go], 'Oh, yeah, man. All these people love me. Check me out.' God… Thank you, Lord, that where I'm at, I can see through the glass — even though it's a dark glass, I can see clearly through the other side. And I'm in touch with the love that could make millions happy again if the three of us got back on that stage.

"I don't wanna forecast any doom or gloom, but every time I've made the suggestion — and they know I've been open to it for all these years to go back out — we'd split it three ways like we did," he continued. "Just on the money aspect of it — just on the money aspect of it — Melvin could set his boy up for life. He's got a boy who has a child; I think one or two children by now. I don't know, 'cause I haven't kept that close a contact; it's not permissible. But I still love Melvin. He's a childhood friend of mine. We rode dirt bikes together. We jammed together. We smoked dope together. We did everything together.'

The legendary 74-year-old rocker, who turned to Jesus in the late 1980s and became a born-again Christian, added: "Maybe if enough people prayed sincerely, that prayer would be answered. I was praying for THE BEATLES to get back together, but there was something in there that just wouldn't allow that…

"I think if that could happen, there's only one person stopping that from happening. And Lord knows it's not Mel. [Laughs]"

Earlier this month, Farner told John Beaudin of RockHistoryMusic.com about GRAND FUNK RAILROAD celebrating the 50th anniversary of "We're An American Band" on tour this year: "You mean the GRAND FRAUD tour? [Laughs] Yeah, the GRAND F-A-U-X RAILROAD. It's too bad. 'Cause it's really dishonest. As legal as it may be, it is completely dishonest to the fans, and the fans are taking a slap in the face, just like they are with that fake FOREIGNER that's out there. There's not even an original member in that band, and they go out as FOREIGNER, without telling the prospective audience that there's no original members. But the audience, the fans don't get the truth. They get screwed again. And I think the fans have been screwed enough, man. Why not tell people the truth and go out with the chest held high instead of hiding behind your dark glasses and trying to present a fraud?"

Having reportedly written more than 90 percent of the GRAND FUNK music catalog, Farner has sold more than 30 million records worldwide and has earned 16 gold and platinum albums.

Farner's first years in music were with the bands TERRY KNIGHT AND THE PACK and THE BOSSMEN. When GRAND FUNK RAILROAD formed in 1969, they named the group after the Grand Trunk & Western Railroad that runs through Flint. Like a Spartan, Farner was intent on bringing rock destined for arenas. What began as rehearsals at Flint's Federation of Musicians Union Hall led to some of rock music's watershed moments. At the 1969 Atlanta International Pop Festival, they shared the stage with rock luminaries such as LED ZEPPELIN, Janis Joplin and CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. The same year they formed — 1969 — the band further defied expectations by releasing two albums (via Capitol Records) in a four-month period. Farner wrote all but two songs from "On Time" and the platinum-selling "Grand Funk". He said they wanted to take advantage of the meteoric rise that was building in terms of the band's popularity.

"It wasn't much pressure because the songs were coming fast," Farner said. "I had nothing but time for songs."

By 1970, Farner's songs were pivotal to the band's success. The epic composition "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" became an anthem for Vietnam War veterans and audiences alike. Farner would later perform the iconic song at the Vietnam Memorial Wall, on the 25th Anniversary of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Farner also received the Vietnam Veterans of American Presidents Award for Excellence in the Arts.

In July 1971, the trio sold out Shea Stadium in New York; 55,000 tickets were sold in a record 72 hours — besting THE BEATLES' previous record.

The Farner-penned composition "Bad Time" was GRAND FUNK's last Top 10 single, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1975. Although it never topped the charts, the song was the most played tune on radio that year due to demand.

Farner is a three-time Michigan Rock And Roll Legends Hall Of Fame member — inducted as a solo member in 2015 and an inductee as part of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD and TERRY KNIGHT AND THE PACK.

Current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 SPECIAL. Max penned and sang 38's biggest hit "Second Chance" and was co-founder of California's legendary JACK MACK AND THE HEART ATTACK. Don refers to Max as "the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet. Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by GRAND FUNK.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master's degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called "Dr. Tim," his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the SILVER BULLET BAND and English soul man Robert Palmer.

GRAND FUNK laid the groundwork for such bands as FOREIGNER, JOURNEY, VAN HALEN and BON JOVI with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies. The fact that GRAND FUNK's legacy still reigns over the classic rock landscape fifty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group's influence and staying power. Mega-hits "We're An American Band", "I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home", "Locomotion" and "Some Kind Of Wonderful" still receive continuous airplay on classic rock radio. "We're An American Band" has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie soundtracks and in television/radio advertising. The huge hit was featured in a General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney's animated feature film "The Country Bears". "We're An American Band" was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film "Radio", and in the swash buckler "Sahara" starring Matthew McConaughey.

Internationally acclaimed GRAND FUNK has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. The group's widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, GRAND FUNK has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles ("We're An American Band" and "Locomotion", both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales exceeding 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest-hits package "Grand Funk Railroad The Collectors Series".

Ted Nugent says that Paul Stanley "hit the nail on the head" with his thoughts on best-practice medical care for minors.

In a tweet on Sunday (April 30) titled "My Thoughts On What I'm Seeing," the KISS guitarist/vocalist wrote that he is concerned about children being given access to gender-affirming care. "There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification," he wrote.

He added that adults "may decide reassignment is their needed choice," but said that children should not be eligible for gender-affirming surgeries and procedures. "Turning this into a game or parents normalizing it as some sort of natural alternative or believing that because a little boy likes to play dress up in his sister's clothes or a girl in her brother's, we should lead them steps further down a path that's far from the innocence of what they are doing," he wrote.

Closing his statement, Stanley claimed that too many parents were confusing "teaching acceptance with normalizing and encouraging a situation that has been a struggle for those truly affected and have turned it into a sad and dangerous fad."

Ted addressed Paul's comments during the latest edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Nugent offers his take on the news of our world every night. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Paul Stanley, number one, has a work ethic. And the industry and the world never really celebrates the incredible work ethic that James Brown taught us, the hardest-working man in show business. And KISS, and certainly Paul and Gene [Simmons], and all the guys, they have an incredible, fire-breathing, animal, unstoppable, indefatigable work ethic. And so when you work your ass off to put your heart and soul into being the best that you can be, providing the greatest products you can possibly come up with, the greatest performances every night, when you have that kind of logic-driven life, then logic will surface in other ways. And Paul Stanley just unleashed some beautiful logic.

"And how about KISS? Let's talk about KISS. What an amazing band," he continued. "Talk about a hell-raising, street shit-kicker rhythm-and-blues rock and roll, unleashed, irreverent fun musical adventure they've created. I love those guys. I've done hundreds and hundreds of concerts with KISS and I consider them great friends."

Nugent, an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine, went on to reference Simmons's 2021 description of unvaccinated Americans as the "enemy." Ted said: "Now I'm really surprised that Gene, as he celebrates his mother who survived Auschwitz, would possibly support an experimental shot and dare to call it a vaccine and really condemn people that don't take the experimental shot.

"So, once again, I love Gene, and I actually contacted him after he made that mistaken statement, and I let him know I still love him, but it was a really ridiculous, cruel, dishonest, totally misrepresentative statement that he said. But this time Paul Stanley hit the nail on the head.

"So, yes, women should only compete against women, and men should only compete against men. Wow, that's radical."

A few other rock musicians publicly supported Stanley's comments, including TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, who tweeted: "You know what? There was a time where I 'felt pretty' too. Glad my parents didn't jump to any rash conclusions!" Phil Labonte, lead vocalist of the metal band ALL THAT REMAINS, tweeted, "Paul is right." And pro wrestler Chris Jericho — who fronts FOZZY — retweeted Stanley's statement without additional comment, to his 3.5 million followers.

Some pointed out that KISS, which was co-founded by Stanley in 1973, was pioneering in breaking down the taboos surrounding men wearing makeup and feminine clothing.

THE OFFSPRING guitarist Noodles, whose real name is Kevin Wasserman, wrote on Twitter: "This is a very disappointing take, especially from someone who wore high-heels, makeup, & teased up hair his whole career. As a young kid your band helped teach me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I guess it was just gimmickry after all."

In a follow-up statement on Thursday (May 4),Stanley walked back his previous statement, saying: "I support those struggling with their sexual identity while enduring constant hostility and those whose path leads them to reassignment surgery. It's hard to fathom the kind of conviction that one must feel to take those steps."

Closing his latest statement, Stanley opted not to clarify his original comments, insisting that social media may not be the best place for genuine discourse. "A paragraph or two will remain far too short to fully convey my thoughts or point of view, so I will leave that for another time and place," he wrote.

Last month, Nugent shared a tweet in which he denounced the existence of transgender people and told people they could "debate" him if they disagreed.

"There is no such thing as transgender. You cannot change your gender. Comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb. Debate me but bring your bib," he wrote.

Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE have completed recording their long-awaited new studio album.

On Saturday (May 6), DEICIDE shared a graphic with the text "The new album is finished," and included the following message: "The recording is done, it's going to test mixing, then mastering. The artwork is amazing and is in its finishing stages, everything is ready to go and is in the record company's hands now. Now we all wait…"

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Jasta Show", the video podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, Glen Benton spoke about the status of DEICIDE's new studio LP. He said: "Well, we signed a new deal with one of these record companies out there. I guess I'm not at liberty to say anything, who it is yet; [they're] gonna announce it soon. Yeah, man, we've had the album in the works, but we got stuck doing this whole 'Legion' [30th-anniversary celebration] thing, and it kind of put the record to the backburner. So now it's out of the way, and we're really… I'm in the process of writing lyrics right now."

Regarding what he and his bandmates were looking for in a record deal, Glen said: "We wanted a one-record deal, man, with a big pile of money to get it done. And we got it… We get to both walk away after it. I think it kind of puts people to do a better job and to promote it better. I think it's gonna be a lot better experience for us. We've always had these multi-record deals that we've had to do. And you know as well as I do, after the first record, you're, like, 'What did I do?' It was a toss-up between doing it like this and just doing it ourselves. And me and Steve [Asheim, DEICIDE drummer] don't wanna lick envelopes and put stamps on shit. So that's why we went this route."

Last August, Benton told "The Garza Podcast" that DEICIDE's new music "is really anthem-style stuff. It's really good, man. There's a lot of prog stuff in there, mixed in there. Steve's our prog guy, man; he's the progressive rock guy. He likes to write those really black metal riffs and the progressive stuff. He's an amazing talent, man. He plays piano. He can play sweeps on guitar. He's a drummer. Yeah, he can do it all."

Benton went on to say that the next DEICIDE album was written in 2021 before he and his bandmates agreed to embark on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of DEICIDE's sophomore album, "Legion". But, he explained, "We're getting ready to hammer this deal out right now and get this thing out."

DEICIDE played its first show with new guitarist guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION) on May 21, 2022 at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Over a year ago, Nordberg spoke about how he landed the DEICIDE gig in an interview with "The Zach Moonshine Show". He said: "In 2019, my band THE ABSENCE toured with DEICIDE in the U.S. And we got to know the guys and got along really well. And I actually found out that Glen lives, like, two streets over from Jeramie [Kling, THE ABSENCE drummer] and I, where we live. So Jeramie and Glen became good buddies and they ride bikes all the times. It's a funny little thing, thinking about that. But long story short, [previous DEICIDE guitarist] Chris [Cannella], I believe he's the head of A&R at Dean Guitars so he's focusing on that for right now. I heard that they needed a guitar player, so I learned a couple of songs, made a couple of videos, and Glen saw 'em and liked what he saw. So we had a couple of practices, and bing bang boom, here we are."

Cannella amicably left DEICIDE in January 2022 after a three-year run.

Chris joined DEICIDE in 2019 following the departure of guitarist Mark English.

English became a member of DEICIDE in 2016 after the exit of longtime guitarist Jack Owen.

In February 2022, Nordberg was asked in an interview with the "Brews N Tunes" podcast if he and his new bandmates had commenced work on the follow-up to "Overtures Of Blasphemy" album. He responded: "They had started most of the new album before I joined, but since announcing [that we are going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of] 'Legion' [by performing the LP in its entirety], we've kind of shifted gears and we're trying to lock that in and get a set prepped just in the event that a show pops up. But they have most of the new album prepped, and then we're hammering out, ironing out some details with the last couple songs. But the material is sounding killer. It sounds like DEICIDE."

"Overtures Of Blasphemy" was released in September 2018 via Century Media.

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LYNCH MOB will release a new studio album, "Babylon", in the fall.

The band, which current includes legendary DOKKEN axeman George Lynch, drummer Jimmy D'Anda (BULLETBOYS),TANTRIC bassist Jaron Gulino and singer Gabriel Colon, has been performing a new song called "The Synner" at some of its recent shows. Fan-filmed video of several of the performances can be seen below.

For much of 2021 and 2022, George had played dates around the U.S. under the name ELECTRIC FREEDOM, which he previously said was the new name of his "touring entity" after deciding to retire the LYNCH MOB band name in 2020. However, seven months ago, it was reported that Lynch was once again playing shows under the LYNCH MOB moniker.

Lynch discussed his change of heart in an interview with Full In Bloom. He said: "[LYNCH MOB is] just a brand I'd established for decades, obviously — over three decades. Nothing's perfect, and I've gotta just live with the fact that it has some negative connotations that I probably have to continue explaining for the rest of my life, and I don't mind doing that. But it is a brand that I built, and I'm just gonna stick with it. As far as a marketing thing and a brand thing and a business thing and a working thing, and it keeps my band guys working and it keeps the fans happy, it makes sense.

"I really felt, when I adopted ELECTRIC FREEDOM, that I was really going against the grain more than keeping the old name," he laughed. "I really felt a lot more resistance than I'd ever felt having LYNCH MOB; that was actually the reality of it. Nobody really liked it. And I didn't like living with that; it was just kind of uncomfortable. It's, like, 'Okay, well, we've just gotta put up with George's decision here to do this, but nobody agrees with it. We're not comfortable with it.' It has a sort of disingenuous ring to it. As much as my motives were pure — I felt honest — it just never caught on, on all kinds of levels."

Asked if he had gotten any negative comments from fans over the LYNCH MOB name, George said: "I may have had a few in the 35 years it's been around, but I'd say probably the most negative criticism I've had of it came from me. So I was my own worst critic with the name, especially in later years. I got a lot more criticism with ELECTRIC FREEDOM.

"It's a brand," George explained. "I mean, nobody wants Coke to change their recipe. Just stay the same, and that's what you built over the years. Why would you…? 'Why would you change it' is a rhetorical question. Why I'm probably not more successful in some ways in my career is because I followed my aspirations musically rather than sometimes be smart about just sticking to the plan. [Laughs]"

The news of LYNCH MOB's return was first reported by the Metal Sludge web site on October 1, 2022.

In August 2020, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he would no longer record or perform under that name.

A few months later, Lynch offered a lengthy explanation for why he was ending LYNCH MOB during an interview with George Dionne of Metal Express Radio. Addressing questions about why it took him three decades to call it quits with LYNCH MOB, George said: "When we first formed the band in '89, the name had sort of already been around. While I was in DOKKEN, it's what I called our little group of guitar fans — I had picks made; it was kind of a little subculture within DOKKEN. When we started working on developing and building the band after DOKKEN broke up, that was just the name that we always thought we'd use, 'cause it was a perfect fit — it's my name, and it describes it pretty well. And, of course, the negative connotations were always there, and I was aware of 'em, but not as aware as I probably should have been. [Laughs]

"I had made numerous attempts over the decades to kind of let that name go and had walked that back for multiple reasons — usually because of business considerations," he continued. "For instance, if you try to go out on a tour and not use the name, promoters aren't gonna be happy with you changing it. People aren't gonna know who you are. They're not gonna show up, because what's THE GEORGE LYNCH EXPERIENCE, or whatever you call it. Or record labels are not interested, because it's a brand that they can count on and sell a certain many albums or whatever.

"For instance, the LYNCH MOB record 'Smoke This' that came out, I think, in '99 or 2000, that was not supposed to be a LYNCH MOB record; that really wasn't anything to do with LYNCH MOB. At the end of the day, after the record was done and we were delivering it to the label, they insisted on using that name as insurance. And if I hadn't agreed to that, we wouldn't have had a record. That's the kind of pressure I'm talking about.

"But then, with the onset of everything that's happened in the last year, I didn't have that kind of pressure anymore," George added. "I could take it or leave it at this point. And I didn't really feel comfortable with it; I didn't feel comfortable with the name. 'Cause I'm a very progressive person politically, and it just so flies in the face of everything I believe in, and it makes it hard. It makes it hard to have relationships with people and explain yourself, and I got tired of rationalizing it. I think the music is bigger than that, and it's had a great run.

"Another reason, too, is the band fell apart again. The band has fallen apart so many times, I can't even count. And it was just, like, 'No more Oni [Logan, vocals], no more Brian Tichy [drums], no more this guy, no more that guy. Oh, great. Now what do I do?' It's, like, 'Okay, build another band from scratch, call it LYNCH MOB?' No. How about just build something new? It gives me a lot more freedom to basically play anything I want live… I can go out and play everything from my catalog — new, old, covers, jams, you name it, and go deep and have fun and change it up every night."

Oni first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the outfit in the late 2000s.

Logan is featured on five of LYNCH MOB's eight albums, including 1990's "Wicked Sensation", as well as 2009's "Smoke And Mirrors", 2014's "Sun Red Sun", 2015's "Rebel" and 2017's "The Brotherhood".

In August 2021, LYNCH MOB celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Wicked Sensation" with a special limited print/deluxe edition of the album. "Wicked Sensation Reimagined" features re-worked and re-recorded versions of the LP's classic songs, and was made available via Rat Pak Records.



The new Savage Grace – US Speed Metal Legend album "Sign of the Cross" got released today featuring Gabriel Colon on…

Posted by Rafael Colón on Friday, May 5, 2023

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with new singer Milo Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber on Friday, May 5 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. You can now watch the entire show below.

FEAR FACTORY's recently completed "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X marked the Dino Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

The Italian-born Silvestro joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for the band's original singer Burton C. Bell.

Webber is filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who is unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

FEAR FACTORY's setlist for the Whisky A Go Go concert was as follows:

01. Autonomous Combat System (live debut)
02. Recharger (first time since 2013)
03. Dielectric
04. Soul Hacker
05. Powershifter
06. Disruptor
07. Shock
08. Edgecrusher (with Cristian Machado)
09. Linchpin
10. What Will Become?
11. Archetype
12. Demanufacture
13. Self Bias Resistor
14. Zero Signal
15. Replica
16. Martyr
17. Scapegoat
18. Resurrection

The 42-date "Rise Of The Machine" North American trek also featured DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

In a recent interview with Revolver, conducted prior to the start of the tour, Silvestro was asked if he was feeling nervous about taking the stage as the singer of FEAR FACTORY. He responded: "Yes, a little bit, but I always thought that being nervous is part of the game. My dad always told me, the moment that you're not scared of going onstage, you better quit music. I think it's supposed to be a really emotional thing, an emotional [moment in] your life. Also, the fact that it's my very first tour experience, my very first FEAR FACTORY experience, my first huge [musical] experience in general, of course that makes me a little bit nervous. But the good thing is that Dino and also the fans, fortunately enough, are making me really comfortable. I want to say thanks to them because they've been amazing. You're always scared about the hating, the negative comments and stuff, which I started seeing because my name had been leaking even before [I got the job] because of the [vocal] covers [I put on YouTube]. People were like, 'Oh, this guy is really good, so maybe it could be him.' Some haters started popping up: 'Oh, he's fucking garbage.' At first I was a little bit scared — and of course Dino had been preparing me for a long time. 'Be prepared. Either in a good or bad way, it's going to be a shitstorm.' But fortunately enough, [when] the announcement came out, [the reaction] was 99.9 percent positive. The negative comments were mostly about [how] this band without [the] previous singer is not FEAR FACTORY anymore. They just need to change the name, blah, blah, blah. Maybe one or two guys were like, 'I don't like him. He sucks.' But nothing that big to fuck with my brain or make me insecure. I was really happy to see literally thousands of people — either friends of mine, people that I know from Italy and totally unknown FEAR FACTORY fans — going, 'Welcome to the family, dude.' It was a really amazing love showering. I'm so thankful and so humbled for that."

Asked how he planned to win those skeptical fans over, Milo said: "I get that certain people are skeptical, because as a fan of music, as a metalhead and a fan of music in general, I know that metal fans are so dedicated, so crazy about their music, which is a good thing. It's almost like a religion. When your favorite band changes singers or a guitar player or whatever, you can feel a little bit sad about it. It can be hard to move on. I had favorite bands of mine that changed either singers or drummers. Maybe I was so affectionate to the style of that musician, and then I had a hard time moving on. But then once I found myself in this position of being the actual guy that is replacing the previous one, now I realize even more that, yeah, sometimes it can be tough for a fan. But it's just something that you either get over, or you don't care about the band anymore.

"What I want to say to [the doubters] is, I know you're skeptical, and it's totally understandable because the FEAR FACTORY vocal legacy is so iconic. The vocals were so identifiable and iconic and it's like replacing James Hetfield in METALLICA. What I want to say is that it's okay to be skeptical, but we are making sure that we're going to do this right. ... I've been working hard these past three years on the vocal style to make sure even the small nuances [are accounted for], how [Bell] pronounced certain things, how he goes from that note to that other note, how he pronounced certain screamed words. Also, from a vocal effects standpoint, we're making sure that everything sounds exactly like the record. I brought a bunch of effects, which I'm a bit of a freak about because I also run a studio. I like to tweak some shit, so I brought them a bunch of shit. Dino, at first, was like, 'What the fuck is this?,' but then he was like, 'Okay.' I was like, 'What if we recreate some of the vocal effects on the record, the beautiful delays which are parts of the vocal legacy?' Songs like 'Self Bias Resistor', the beautiful chorus has got a lot of deeper delay. That's part of the vocal sound. That's also what makes FEAR FACTORY's trademark sound."

This past February, Cazares told "The Jasta Show" about the band's vocalist search: "A lot of females stepped up. And there was definitely some females in the top five that I almost chose. But it did take a long process for me to find somebody. I was touring with SOULFLY [as a session guitarist] around late 2021 up till recently. And in that process I was looking for singers, and I was very meticulous, because I know how important it is for FEAR FACTORY fans that I pick the right guy. And I believe, and I know that I got the right dude. So I'm very happy [about] that."

Cazares went on to say that he "definitely" considered "guys [who] were in other bands" but that he thought "there would be a lot of scheduling conflicts, if the guy is in another band, and then we wouldn't be able to tour as much. What it somebody wanted us to do something like the Milwaukee Metal Fest, I wouldn't be able to do it because the singer has another gig somewhere else," Cazares explained. "So I wanted a guy who was fresh off the boat, new-school guy. I like discovering new talent. There's a lot of talented people out there, and they just never get the shot. So I wanted to give kind of an unknown guy a shot, or an unknown person a shot."

Dino previously told RichardMetalFan that he wasn't "afraid" of replacing someone like Bell. "I've been there before," he said. "I'm ready to move on forward. I look forward to it. I think it's gonna be fucking ripping. It's gonna be killer. I'm gonna put out some more heavy shit. So I don't think anybody needs to worry. The vocalist I got is amazing. He's younger; he's in his mid-30s. He's at his vocal peak, I think. He's there and ready to go."

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside Heller.
FF Tonight 5/5 @TheWhiskyAGoGo setlist
Autonomous Combat System
Recharger
Dielectric
Soul Hacker (F#)
Powershifter
Disruptor
Shock
Edgecrusher
Linchpin
What Will Become
Archetype
Demanufacture
Self Bias Resistor
Zero Signal
Replica
Martyr
Scapegoat
Resurrection

— Dino Cazares (@DinoCazares) May 5, 2023

DROWNING POOL is working on its first new music with singer Ryan McCombs in more than a decade.

McCombs and founding DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce discussed the band's plans for new material during a Facebook Live chat with fans on Saturday (May 6). Asked by one fan if DROWNING POOL was writing a new album with Ryan, C.J. responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are working on new songs. You don't even know. The new songs are flowing like wine, like a broken bottle top. It's a fine wine… It's just coming out everywhere. I can't put a cork in it. It's just, like, 'How 'bout this riff? How 'bout this riff?' It's insane." Ryan added: "It's creativity overload all of a sudden." Pierce continued: "So, yes, we are actually going to record some stuff next week… But yes, new music is actually being recorded next week… We are actually gonna start tracking stuff next week… And it is jammin'."

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL on March 17 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and on March 18, headlining the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

According to Metal Edge, McCombs will continue to front SOIL and will perform with both bands moving forward.

Said McCombs: "When I stepped away from music back in 2004, I only got back into the mix because it was with [DROWNING POOL members] C.J., Stephen and Mike, and because it was also a way for me to be a small part of keeping their music with Dave [late DROWNING POOL vocalist Dave Williams] alive. Just being back in the same room together after so many years, gearing up for these shows, was a quick reminder as to why I considered them to be my best friends in the business back in the day. As everyone living life can attest to, sometimes our days can get messy — but in the words of one Dave Williams, 'Everything happens for reasons, I just don't know…' Some of the greatest moments in my career came about as a member of DP and I'm really thankful for the opportunity to perform with them once again."

Added drummer Mike Luce: "I'm very happy that SOIL and DROWNING POOL are in a spot now where we not only co-exist, but are close enough as friends to move forward together. We support and respect each other enough for us to make sure they can keep doing what they do, and for them to allow us to revisit a bunch of these cool tunes we played a decade-plus ago, with the singer who we viewed as the archetype after Dave passed. We can't wait to get onstage together again and see where this leads."

"It's exciting as hell having Ryan McCombs rocking out with us again," said guitarist C.J. Pierce. "It's been 13 years since the last time we were in a rehearsal room together, and from the second we hit that first note it was like we never skipped a beat. I've never felt such a connection as musicians, true friends and family as I do with Mike, Stevie and Ryan. I can't wait to share the stage together again."

"Never say never," said bassist Stevie Benton. "It's hard to believe it's been over 10 years since we shared a stage with Ryan. I think, deep down, we always knew this reunion would happen."

McCombs's bandmates in SOIL said: "Ryan has extensive history with both SOIL and DROWNING POOL, so when the opportunity arose for him to move forward as the singer of both bands, we knew we could make it work together. Both bands aren't kids anymore, and we've all grown as people, mended past hard feelings, and are approaching the 25-year marks. Ryan wants to work. He wants to tour and play as much as possible, and this allows him to do that. As Dave Williams said just days before his passing, 'Anywhere there is electricity for DP and SOIL to play together, let's do it…'"

DROWNING POOL's first new record since 2016, "Strike A Nerve", came out last September via T-Boy/UMe. It marked the band's third album with singer Jasen Moreno, who joined DROWNING POOL in 2012.

DROWNING POOL addressed Moreno's departure in a social media post on March 16, writing: "We appreciate everyone asking about Jasen. We can't speak for him but we believe he was just ready to move on to other things in life. Maybe he will make a statement. Maybe he won't. Regardless, we wish him the best."



Posted by Drowning Pool on Saturday, May 6, 2023

In a new interview with Australia's Metal Mal , METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof spoke about the passing of the band's singer, Mike Howe, less than two years ago.

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California in July 2021. According to TMZ, Howe's official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department told the site authorities were calling it a suicide. He was only 55 years old.

Asked by Metal Mal if he saw any "signs" that Howe was battling severe depression, Vanderhoof said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's an interesting thing because he was going through a rough time. He had gone through a divorce and gone through some stuff which I know hit him really, really hard. So he was struggling with that; the family breaking up and things like that was really hard on him. But we kind of left him alone to deal with it; we didn't put any pressure on him to do band stuff. 'Cause I was moving and we had that all set up. So we just let him be. [I stayed] in contact with him, just [to say], 'Hey, how're you doing?' every once in a while, just to see. And when I spoke to him and it was time to start writing a new record, he was doing fine. He was coming out of it, he was feeling good, he was kind of on the mend and was getting some help and things like that. And so he was coming out of it. So I said, 'Hey, let's start working on a new record.' He thought that was a great idea."

Kurdt continued: "He just went through a real bad time, like we all do. I knew he was struggling a little bit, but… I don't wanna get too personal about what was going on with him, but he was coming out of it. We spoke, we had a couple of great conversations. Mike was coming back. He was ready to make a new record. So I started writing. And then, all of a sudden… I got him the record. We had a conversation. He listened to it and called me back [and said], 'Oh, I like this. And I like this. Let's do something with this.' Blah blah. The usual process. And then about a week after that, I got the call."

Regarding how he has dealt with his longtime friend's death, Kurdt said: "If it would have happened about four or five months prior to that, I probably would have been surprised but not as shocked. But after that, it was like… To be perfectly honest, I still haven't processed it, because I can't. I can't, and so I'm not gonna try. My best friend is gone. And I'm kind of one of the people that, and most artists probably are like this, there's a certain amount of depression and emotional things that go into creative types — for better or worse. But I don't understand [and] I can't relate to the feeling of being so depressed that something like that is the answer. I can't get my head around that. I don't understand. So I think there was some… I fully believe that there was some of the antidepressants and some of the chemicals and pills and things that are prescribed to a lot of people had a lot to do with it. That's just my personal opinion. I think that.

"So I haven't really processed it," Kurdt repeated. "I can't. I don't know what to think. So I'm just gonna keep moving forward. And it's not that I'm insensitive; it's just… I can't. Especially somebody like that, who was the most kind-hearted, nicest, most loving, caring guy I've ever met in my life, for him to be in that much pain, that just breaks my heart."

When Mike's death was first announced, TMZ stated that cops in Eureka got a call just after 10 a.m. on July 26, 2021 reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found Howe dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Four days after Howe's death, the surviving members of METAL CHURCH shared a statement on social media in which they blamed his suicide on the fact that he "was victimized by a failing health-care system and subsequently poisoned by the venom of Big Pharma," a term which refers collectively to the global pharmaceutical industry. "In short and in essence, he fell prey to the real 'Fake Healer'."

METAL CHURCH's statement was quickly met with criticism from some of the band's fans who felt that the long-running metal act was using Howe's death as a platform to assert its political views. As a result, METAL CHUCH pulled its original post from social media and replaced it with a revised version, in which the musicians said they were "in no way, shape or form referring to anything in relation to vaccinations, COVID or politics. We were saying our brother was hurting and while he was seeking medical care for it, the treatments he was utilizing did not protect him," they wrote. "Otherwise, he would still be with us today."

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

This past February, METAL CHURCH announced that it had enlisted ROSS THE BOSS and LET US PREY vocalist Marc Lopes to sing for the band.

METAL CHURCH's first studio album with Lopes, "Congregation Of Annihilation", will arrive on May 26 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe).

TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy threw shade at the band's former drummer Dave Lombardo during a concert in Colombia.

Billy brought up Lombardo's name while introducing TESTAMENT's new drummer Chris Dovas at the group's May 2 show at the Teatro Royal Center in Bogotá.

Before launching into the song "D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)", which originally appeared on the sole TESTAMENT album Lombardo played on, 1999's "The Gathering", Chuck presented the band's new drummer to the audience, saying: "Stand up and take a bow. Give it up for Mr. Chris Dovas. Lombardo who? Yeah. That's Chris Dovas right there. Don't forget it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TESTAMENT's "Klash Of The Titans" tour of Latin America with KREATOR kicked off on April 19 in Lima, Peru and will run through May 9 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

In a recent interview with Chile's iRock.CL, Billy was asked what it was like to play with Lombardo again last year. Chuck said: "Well, it was like old friends meeting together again, when we got to get back on the road together. It was really like old times. It felt like a normal family, I guess. It was great having him back. He came at a right time when Gene [Hoglan, longtime TESTAMENT drummer] wasn't available due to scheduling problems, and Dave had a lot of open time. So the timing worked. I know Dave's a busy man, so he has other projects too, and it's not TESTAMENT. So I imagine that'll… We can't really control all that. But it was very fun, those tours we did. He added his Lombardo-isms to the old TESTAMENT songs. So it was good."

In March 2022, Billy told the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station that he didn't expect Lombardo to focus only on TESTAMENT in the ensuing months. "I'm not holding my breath that Dave just is in TESTAMENT only but we're gonna have to kind of maneuver around what happens," he said. "But then again, this is the beginning of the relationship. We might be busy enough and he might just be happy enough just working with us and it works out. So we're just kind of taking it one day at a time, one tour at a time. We know he's gonna be with us for the next three tours — we know that for sure — so we'll see what happens after that."

Florida metal titans Trivium have released an official video for "No Way Back Just Through", taken from their 2021 album, In The Court Of The Dragon. Check it out below.





Trivium's tenth album, In The Court Of The Dragon, was released via Roadrunner Records in October 2021. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in autumn 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Order In The Court Of The Dragon here.




The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres (@mathieunozieres on Instagram).





In The Court Of The Dragon tracklisting:


"X"
"In The Court Of The Dragon"
"Like A Sword Over Damocles"
"Feast Of Fire"
"A Crisis Of Revelation"
"The Shadow Of The Abattoir"  
"No Way Back Just Through"  
"Fall Into Your Hands"  
"From Dawn To Decadence"  
"The Phalanx"


"The Phalanx" video:





"Feast Of Fire" video:





"In The Court Of The Dragon" video:

The reformed PANTERA played its first U.S. concert Saturday night (May 6) at the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City, Florida. The performance marked PANTERA's first live appearance in its home country in 22 years — since July 25, 2001, when the band played at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington as part of the "Extreme Steel" tour.

PANTERA's setlist for the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally included one song which hadn't been performed live since the band's comeback last year: "Suicide Note Pt. II", from PANTERA's 1996 album "The Great Southern Trendkill".

PANTERA's current lineup includes two surviving members from the band's classic formation, Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Holy crap! I never in a million years thought I’d get to see Pantera live, let alone up front against the fence where I...

Posted by Luke Hartsock on Saturday, May 6, 2023



You see us comin'
And you all together run for cover
We're taking over this town….and they did. Pantera with Zakk Wylde was epic at Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally PANAMA CITY BEACH, Florida Law Tigers Florida Panhandle Law Tigers
#lawtigersfloridapanhandle #thunderbeach #pantera #zakkwylde #bikerrally

Posted by Law Tigers Florida Panhandle on Saturday, May 6, 2023



PANTERA,GOING ON LIKE RIGHT FKN NOW.
PANAMA CITY Beach.

Posted by Michael Wagner on Saturday, May 6, 2023

See you on May 6th, Panama City, Fl! Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally

Posted by Pantera on Friday, February 10, 2023