Whitechapel's new live album, Live In The Valley, is out today and available across all digital platforms on Metal Blade Records. New live video for "This Is Exile" is available below.





Live In The Valley was captured live at the band's seventh annual Christmas Benefit Show on December 22, 2022 at The Mill & Mine in their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee and features songs from the albums The Valley and Kin. The audio for Live In The Valley was recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Whitechapel guitarist Zach Householder and serves as a chapter closer before the band begins work on their ninth studio album.




Order at metalblade.com. 





Tracklisting:


“When A Demon Defiles A Witch”
“Forgiveness Is Weakness”
“Brimstone”
“Hickory Creek”
“Black Bear”
“Doom Woods”
“I Will Find You”
“A Bloodsoaked Symphony”
“Anticure”
“Lost Boy”
“Orphan”
“This Is Exile”
“The Saw Is The Law”


“Lost Boy” video:

Death metal powerhouse Slaughterror is set to unleash their stunning debut EP, Endless Lust For Gore, on February 23 via Noble Demon.


Formed in 2022, Slaughterror is a formidable trio of talent hailing from the cold heart of Finland. Their music is a relentless onslaught of aggression and groove, capturing the essence of classic death metal. Drawing inspiration from American death metal giants like Six Feet Under and Cannibal Corpse, Slaughterror's sound takes you back to the golden era of the genre. The first single from the band's upcoming EP, entitled "Incarnation", is out now and accompanied by an intense video that perfectly complements the powerful death metal track.


Slaughterror comments: "‘Incarnation’ is a brutal and punchy death metal song about a man who projects his self-hatred upon the world, killing and tormenting anyone who he thinks is unworthy of this life. Crushing riffs and a great groove accompany this brutality."




Slaughterror's music is a testament to their deep love and admiration for the pioneers of the scene. While paying homage to the classics, they skillfully infuse their own modern twist, creating their very own powerful sound.


Beyond their endeavors in Slaughterror, the band members have notable roles in other projects within the metal music scene. Juuso Turkki, for instance, is a multi-talented musician who also plays in the dynamic outfit One Morning Left. Okko Solanterä is recognized for his contributions to Horizon Ignited, while Saku Moilanen is not only a guitarist for Slaughterror but also a mastermind of Red Moon Architect, as well as renowned studio producer within the metal music scene, shaping the sound of countless acts.


So stay tuned for the release of Endless Lust For Gore on February 23. The EP will be released digitally by Noble Demon; pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


“Incarnation”
“Victim”
“Endless Lust For Gore”
“I Am Death”


“Incarnation” video:

In a recent interview with "Chris Akin Presents…", MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars was asked if any of the songs he recorded seven years ago with former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi will eventually see the light of day. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's maybe one song, if I redid it. It's 'Gimme Blood', which would be perfect for, like, say, wrestling… But right now, I'm just gonna kind of leave them where they are. And one day, if I decide to [go], like, 'Let's dig this one up and see what we can do with it.' But right now I'm on a whole different kind of a way of thinking, I guess."

Last month, Mars addressed Corabi's absence from the guitarist's upcoming debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", telling Marcelo Vieira of the Igor Miranda YouTube channel: "[John] was doing… I really wanted him to sing on it, but I know he was busy with DEAD DAISIES and doing these other things. I don't know… He was kind of, like, not adamant, but kind of unsure. John is a good friend of mine, and we both kind of decided that [we should] not repeat the '94 album. Yeah, that kind of thing. I think we made the right choice to have him not to sing, even though he's got an incredible voice."

In October, Mick told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about why the songs he recorded back in 2016 with Corabi are not included on the LP: "I felt the songs were just a little — not strong enough. And there is a certain person that kind of interfered with that. And I'm not gonna say his name, but he kind of like messed some things up. The songs were wrong, parts in there that shouldn't be there and blah blah blah. It isn't a long story, but it was kind of like, 'That ain't gonna fly.' So I shelved it."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk to clarify that it was a third party who was involved in the project — not Corabi — who "kind of mucked it up," Mick said: "[I was] kind of duped — that's all I have to say — by a third party. And that's it. That's all. I got rid of him and went on and searched for other people. I mean, look, I found [producer] Michael Wagener after a while. He lives just down the street."

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

During a December 2021 Facebook Live session, Corabi was asked about the fate of the material he recorded with Mars. He responded: "A couple of years ago, Mick asked me to sing a couple of songs, and I did it. He put snippets of them out, but he's gone on to do a full record. And as of right now, I have no idea whether or not Mick is using those songs. It's Mick's solo record. He just asked me to sing two tunes. Unfortunately… I wanted to do more, and Mick wanted me to do more, but I wasn't able to, because of my schedule and because of Mick's schedule. So we'll all just have to wait and see. I'm as excited to hear Mick's record as you are. And we'll see. Hopefully he used those songs. Maybe he didn't. I don't know."

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars", which will arrive on February 23, 2024 via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Bunton had previously collaborated with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

At this past Wednesday night's (January 24) Metal Hall Of Fame gala at the Delta Marriott Garden Grove in Garden Grove, California, new MERCYFUL FATE bassist Becky Baldwin spoke to The Metal Voice about her recent addition to the band as a permanent member. The Birmingham, England-based musician previously toured with MERCYFUL FATE in the fall of 2022 as the temporary replacement for Joey Vera who was unable to make the dates due to a scheduled conflict with his longtime group ARMORED SAINT.

Asked if her addition to MERCYFUL FATE as a permanent member has been in the works for a while, Becky said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I guess the idea was floating around for a while, but it's quite recent still, the news that I was going to be permanent in MERCYFUL FATE. But I guess, as any band does when you've got a lot coming up and there's some kind of — I don't wanna say insecurity within the band, because it's not that; it was just kind of, like, a question about how busy Joey was, and I guess it was kind of in the back of their minds. And the way that the fans reacted when I did the tour was very positive. So it was a natural progression, I guess. But yeah, it all just kind of came about very, very recently in terms of being solidly, like, 'Yes, this is what's happening. And you are gonna be a full-time member of MERCYFUL FATE.'"

Regarding how she came to play for MERCYFUL FATE originally, Becky said: "I think the main person for bringing me into the picture was [MERCYFUL FATE guitarist] Hank Shermann. So he was the person who suggested me when they started looking at, like, 'Okay, well, actually, this whole list of male bass players that we're looking through, it doesn't have to be a guy. Who else do we know? Should we start looking somewhere else? Because there aren't any women on this list, and maybe that could be a thing, that could work out for MERCYFUL FATE.' And then I was kind of at the top of Hank's list. And then when he showed King [Diamond, MERCYFUL FATE frontman] and the rest of the management and stuff some of my videos, it was literally the weekend of Bloodstock [Open Air] festival in the summer of 2022. And they were, like, 'Okay, let's go. Let's go to Bloodstock. And she's gonna be at Bloodstock festival. Let's ask her there.'"

Asked if she is looking forward to perhaps contributing to the songwriting in MERCYFUL FATE as well, Becky said: "I think the songwriting is still gonna be very much King Diamond and Hank Shermann kind of heading up most of that, but definitely writing bass lines. I've studied all of Timi's [Hansen, original MERCYFUL FATE bassist] bass lines very meticulously now, and so I really feel like I can bring some of that into the new bass lines for the next record."

Pressed about whether MERCYFUL FATE's legacy scares her, with "their history of all this satanic stuff," Becky responded: "No, not really. I mean, I guess just their legacy in itself is scary. It's such a big thing. It was such a big part of my life growing up that it's all just very daunting, I guess. And trying to get it right is daunting and scary. But the satanic stuff, no, not really. [Laughs]"

When Becky's addition to MERCYFUL FATE was first announced earlier in the month, she said in a statement: "It is a great honor to now be a permanent member of MERCYFUL FATE. I can't wait to join the recording of the new album.

"When I joined as a stand-in on the 2022 U.S. tour, the acceptance and encouragement from the fans was exceptional. A huge thanks to the band, team and fans for the warm welcome.
See you in Chile and Brazil this coming April."

After playing the piano as a child, Becky picked up the bass guitar as a teenager and began performing with bands at school. In 2009 she moved from Trowbridge to Bristol to study at BIMM Bristol and became closely involved in Bristol's music scene. Becky holds a BA Honours degree in Professional Musicianship and now lives in the birthplace of heavy metal — Birmingham, U.K.

Becky is an energetic live performer and efficient recording musician who specializes in fingerstyle bass guitar playing, and rock and metal genres. Since 2012, Becky has performed approximately 100 gigs per year, offering her skills for a wide variety of bands (including covers and original bands, genres ranging from metal to folk, urban, funk, pop, jazz and more.) Music has taken Becky all over Europe and into the USA for touring and recording sessions.

Becky is a co-founder of specialist private tuition company Bristol Rock Centre, which runs a teaching and rehearsal studio in Mangotsfield. She has aided exam board Rockschool in the writing and proofing of tuition/exam books including "Let's Rock Bass", the "Popular Music Theory" collection and the 2014 Vocal syllabus. She has led workshops with Bristol Rock Centre and Rockschool, and has given lectures at BIMM Bristol, ACM Birmingham and Access Creative College. Becky has received tuition from top musicians such as Stuart Clayton (CARL PALMER band),Damon Minchella (OCEAN COLOUR SCENE, PAUL WELLER) and Jim Barr (PORTISHEAD, GET THE BLESSING).

Earlier in January, it was revealed that MERCYFUL FATE and Vera had "mutually" decided to part ways.

In 2019, it was announced Vera would be replacing Hansen for the band's summer 2020 European festival appearances due to Hansen's cancer diagnosis. Hansen passed away in November 2019 and MERCYFUL FATE's 2020 summer festival appearances were rescheduled for 2021, and then to 2022.

MERCYFUL FATE's North American tour, which featured support from by KREATOR and MIDNIGHT, followed the band's headlining performance at the 2022 edition of Psycho Las Vegas.

MERCYFUL FATE is currently working on a new album and recently gave fans a taste of the new material when they debuted a song called "The Jackal Of Salzburg" in Germany in June 2022 as well as at Psycho Las Vegas. The band's current lineup is rounded out by Mike Wead on guitar and Bjarne T. Holm on drums.

MERCYFUL FATE was formed in early 1981 in Copenhagen, Denmark by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. They were later joined by guitarist Michael Denner and bassist Timi Hansen, and soon thereafter drummer Kim Ruzz would join to complete the band lineup. The band recorded two demos in 1981 and later signed with Rave On Records in Holland for the recording of their successful self-titled EP, released in November of 1982. The "Mercyful Fate" EP was soon in heavy rotation around core metal radio stations, launching a new breed of heavy metal with their unique sound.

The band joined Roadrunner Records in 1983 and their debut full-length, "Melissa", was recorded and released that same year. The following year, MERCYFUL FATE returned to the studio to record their now legendary "Don't Break The Oath" full-length, released in September of 1984.

MERCYFUL FATE embarked upon a two-month U.S. tour in support of the record, which took them across the States several times sharing the stage with the likes of MOTÖRHEAD and EXCITER. The shows had created a brush fire within the metal community. The band reaped recognition globally, closing the year with a five-date tour in Germany with MOTÖRHEAD, GIRLSCHOOL, HELIX and TALON.

MERCYFUL FATE's first concert of 1985 was in their hometown of Copenhagen at an old movie theater with a large capacity. The show sold out and their stage show exhibited a new level of distinction. The night was a huge victory and a new highlight for the band. By April of 1985, however, MERCYFUL FATE decided to part ways for each to pursue new challenges. The KING DIAMOND band was born and reaped critical acclaim the following years with five studio albums on Roadrunner Records. KING DIAMOND has since signed with Metal Blade Records and is going stronger than ever before.

In the summer of 1992, MERCYFUL FATE decided to reunite and penned a new deal with Brian Slagel and his label, Metal Blade Records. "In The Shadows" was released in 1993 and was an instant triumph furthered by a sold-out U.S. tour.

MERCYFUL FATE has gone on to release another five studio albums and have toured Europe, the U.S. and South America multiple times. The highlight of 1999 was their critically acclaimed album "9" which was followed by a European tour with METALLICA, where King Diamond and Hank Shermann joined the band onstage several times for the medley "Mercyful Fate" which METALLICA had recorded on their "Garage Inc." double tribute album the year prior. Tours in the U.S. and in South America followed, marking the band's last live performances for over a decade. MERCYFUL FATE then went on hiatus, but made a brief appearance when members joined METALLICA onstage in 2011 for their 30th-anniversary show in San Francisco, California.

Legendary rockers JOURNEY, who were formed in the San Francisco area more than 50 years ago, performed their smash hit "Don't Stop Believin'" at halftime of the NFC Championship between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday (January 28),but changed the lyrics from "just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit" to "born and raised in San Francisco."

It is not clear if most of the crowd at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California noticed the change because the band's new lyrics were drowned out by Detroit Lions fans still screaming the original words, "South Detroit."

JOURNEY's set at the game consisted of four songs: "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", "Be Good To Yourself", "Any Way You Want It" and the aforementioned "Don't Stop Believin'".

The rest of the entertainment Sunday included pregame performances by Amp Squad DJs and singer Nate Smith. The national anthem was performed by Puerto Rican pop singer Luis Fonsi, and the San Francisco Police Department Color Guard team presented the colors.

JOURNEY features founder Neal Schon (lead guitarist),Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals),Arnel Pineda (lead vocals),Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals),Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass).

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold over 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than one million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Pineda as lead singer after Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

JOURNEY will team up with DEF LEPPARD for a 2024 stadium concert tour of North America. The 23-city tour opens July 6 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and concludes September 8 at Coors Field in Denver. The opening act for most of the tour dates will be fellow Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Steve Miller and his band. Two other Rock Hall inductees will alternate as opening acts for the seven shows Miller is not playing — CHEAP TRICK and HEART.

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IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain and his BAD COMPANY tribute band DODGY ENTERPRISE performed at a benefit concert for nonprofit HomeSafe at its annual Classic Rock & Roll Party on January 27 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The party brought together familiar faces from rock royalty to raise funds to support victims of child abuse and domestic violence throughout South Florida, including a jam session with original BAD COMPANY drummer Simon Kirke, ANTHRAX lead singer Joey Belladonna, former TWISTED SISTER drummer Joe Franco and ex-JUDAS PRIEST lead singer Tim "Ripper" Owens. Rex Kirby and Kelly Smallridge returned as co-chairs alongside Larry and Gina Melby. HomeSafe also presented its annual HomeSafe Hero award to Boca Raton residents Bob Sheetz and Debbie Lindstrom for their dedication to the organization's mission of protecting South Florida's most vulnerable residents.

Video of McBrain and Belladonna performing a cover of the JOURNEY classic "Don't Stop Believin'" at last night's event can be seen below.

Founded in 1979, HomeSafe provides comprehensive programs preventing new cases of family violence, protecting victims of child abuse and domestic violence, and preparing children and families for safer, more productive lives.

HomeSafe is a nationally accredited nonprofit. Through its results-driven approach, the organization is a leading provider of prevention and intervention services, serving more than 15,000 infants, children, young adults and families each year. HomeSafe is one of just five specialized therapeutic group care agencies in the state and the only one in Southeast Florida.

"I fell in love with the whole organization [after being introduced to it around 2005]," McBrain told Sun-Sentinel.com. "I had a wonderful childhood growing up in North London, and I think every child deserves to have caring people around them to nurture their abilities and help them go out and have a fulfilled life."

McBrain also visits the young residents at HomeSafe's residential campuses, and he has previously donated drum sets, guitars, amplifiers, speakers and more to its music room.

"Music is very therapeutic and can help heal all kinds of ailments," the drummer said. "When I sit and talk to the kids, they ask what it's like playing on the road and how I deal with missing my family. They're very sweet and endearing and quite enthralled to know what life is like on a touring band."

Speaking to the Broward Palm Beach New Times, McBrain stated about HomeSafe: "I got involved with HomeSafe about [19] years ago. Tico Torres (of BON JOVI) was actually kind of host of it, but I met him through a lady who kind of set me with the golf tournament for Tico, and then I went to the event and I just fell in love with everybody who worked there at that time. There was such a positive vibe towards the way that people were working for the charity, and then Clarence [Clemons] came on board and we hit it off, and he took me down to meet the children at the West Palm Beach home, and it tugged the old strings of the heart, so, I've supported it ever since."



Don’t Stop Believing Kansas City Chiefs!

Fantastic evening performing for the HomeSafe corporate fundraiser!

Thank you especially to Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden for drumming on this song and bringing us to Florida for a few days to rehearse, relax and help raise money for an extraordinary cause. We look forward to working with them again in the future!

#joeybelladonna #homesafeclassic #nickomcbrain #ironmaiden @homesafe #BeyondFrontiers #journeymusic #monsterenergy Monster Energy #chiefskingdom #kansascitychiefs

Posted by Joey Belladonna on Sunday, January 28, 2024

Another great event and night at the HomeSafe “The Classic” Rock & Roll Party charity event! Nicko Mcbrain is a great...

Posted by Tim Ripper Owens on Sunday, January 28, 2024

Joey Belladonna, Simon Kirke, Nicko Mcbrain, Joe Franco, Tom McAlister, ME
HomeSafe charity The classic Rock & Roll party

Posted by Tim Ripper Owens on Saturday, January 27, 2024

With Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida
#ironmaiden #hardrock

Posted by Dave Lawrence on Saturday, January 27, 2024

Excellent experience with Nicko McBrain!!!
Sorry not at Namm! Lol

Posted by Oliver V. Quintero on Saturday, January 27, 2024

Due to overwhelming demand, MEGADETH has added a third show in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After the April 13, 2024 concert at the 15,000-capacity Movistar Arena sold out in a matter of minutes, the band added another date at the same venue, scheduled for the following night, April 14. That concert sold out in two hours, according to concert promoter Ake Music Productions. Now, MEGADETH has announced that it will play a third show at Movistar Arena on April 16.

"Argentina fans! We were so blown away by the love you showed us on the first two Argentina dates of the Crush The World Tour that we added a third on the 16th of April," MEGADETH said in a statement. "Tickets are on sale NOW! megadeth.com/tour".

This past November, MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine said that he and his bandmates were "planning a really big surprise" for the first show in Buenos Aires, which will be part of the Latin American leg of the "Crush The World" tour. The trek will kick off in Lima, Peru on Saturday, April 6 and will include stops in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and México.

MEGADETH's upcoming concerts in Argentina will take place 30 years after the band's first appearance in the country, which took place on December 2, 1994 at the Obras Sanitarias stadium. It was at that gig that the chant "Aguante Megadeth" was started during the song "Symphony Of Destruction", loosely translating to "MEGADETH rocks".

MEGADETH played its first concert with new guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Mäntysaari stepped into MEGADETH as the replacement for the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, who announced in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

In addition to Mustaine and Mäntysaari, MEGADETH's current lineup includes former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo.

In September 2022, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

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

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

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).
Argentina fans, you all have been asking and we heard you… We’re excited to announce that we will be bringing a third show from the #CrushTheWorldTour to you on April 16th. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at 10am local! https://t.co/B2L1a3NdBZpic.twitter.com/q0DO2n9r6s

— Megadeth (@Megadeth) January 24, 2024



Megadeth agrega una nueva fecha en Buenos Aires! La cita es el 16 de abril en el Movistar Arena y las entradas ya están...

Posted by En vivo en Buenos Aires on Wednesday, January 24, 2024

According to journalist Lauro Jardim of O Globo, the leading daily newspaper in Brazil, AC/DC will play four shows in the country in September 2024.

The legendary Australian hard rock band will stage two concerts at Morumbi in São Paulo and two more at this year's edition of the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro.

AC/DC was on the bill of the very first edition of Rock In Rio, in 1985, which was reportedly attended by an estimated 1.5 million people. The concert was organized by Brazilian entrepreneur Roberto Medina and featured some of the biggest names in rock music at the time, including QUEEN, IRON MAIDEN, OZZY OSBOURNE and YES. AC/DC reportedly visited Brazil only twice more in the decades that followed: in 1996 during the "Ballbreaker" tour, and in 2009, on the "Black Ice" tour.

AC/DC's first show in seven years took place on October 7, 2023 at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

The legendary hard rockers ran through a 24-song set to close out day two of the three-day event at Empire Polo Club.

AC/DC's performance marked the first time the band opened its set with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)". The concert also included live debuts for two tracks from 2020's "Power Up" album, "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark".

AC/DC recruited drummer Matt Laug to perform with the band at Power Trip.

The 55-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

In its announcement about Laug's addition to the band's Power Trip lineup, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band's longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

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

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, the now-76-year-old Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

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

According to rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, a huge AC/DC fan who has covered the legendary rock act's songs with a tribute band and who has interviewed members of AC/DC in the past, bassist Cliff Williams will not tour with AC/DC this year.

Cliff announced his retirement at the end of AC/DC's 2015-2016 "Rock Or Bust" tour, which also saw Johnson leaving because of hearing problems. However, Williams — and Johnson — took part in the recording sessions that resulted in "Power Up". Both of them were also part of the AC/DC lineup that performed at Power Trip.
AC/DC volta ao Brasil em setembro, com shows em SP e no Rock in Rio https://t.co/pwarzGbh5A

— Lauro Jardim (@laurojardim) January 28, 2024

Former KAMELOT and current CONCEPTION vocalist Roy Khan joined ex-ANGRA singer Eduardo "Edu" Falaschi on stage last night (Saturday, January 27) at at Tokio Marine Hall in São Paulo, Brazil to perform several tracks, including a version of KAMELOT's classic song "Center Of The Universe". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Last summer, Roy said that a number of things contributed to his decision to leave KAMELOT more than a decade ago.

The now-53-year-old Norwegian singer announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout."

After his departure from KAMELOT, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway.

In an interview with Justin Young of Monsters, Madness And Magic, Roy — whose full name is Roy Sætre Khantatat — was asked what led to his split with KAMELOT. He responded: "Everything. Too much travel. Too much work. I had my first kids. I got married and I was pretty much falling into every pit there was. And this whole character that I was creating was very different from the person that I was and wanted to be at home. And those two characters pulled farther and farther from each other and that whole thing just tore me apart. I wasn't really present when I was at home either. I'd come back from a six-week tour and just take my shoes off and sit right down on the PC and work on something, and it was not good. And I got mentally sick. That summer of 2010, I had a period of five, six weeks where I literally did not sleep. Maybe, I mean a little bit, of course, but there were so many nights that I did not sleep at all. I just wandered around the house and worrying about everything and nothing."

Asked if he became religious after his exit from KAMELOT, Roy said: "Religious? Depends on what you mean by religious, how you define that. But I've always been occupied with big questions and also spiritual things. I mean, those kind of things have always fascinated me. But there were some really weird things that happened to me in connection with me being at my lowest low ever in 2010. I mean, obviously, I was really mentally ill at that point, but we experienced things. I mean, I experienced things that other people experienced together with me, and the timing of things were really awkward. Whatever that was, it definitely made me completely change my mind on the whole issue, is there something out there that we can't see that affects us? I'm positive about that. And I still have to sit down and pinch myself in the arm and just remind myself that the things that happened happened. I mean, some of those things people surely will say are coincidence. Some will say that I just imagined it. Some people will say that — some people won't even believe. But for me, it was very, very clear. And, there's no doubt in my mind. That doesn't mean that that completely changed my life. I mean, it did, but it's not like I was a whole new being all of a sudden. I still have things that I struggle with. It's not like you go from being an arrogant, sinful bastard to being an angel. It's a process. But all those things, having those things in mind for me is definitely gradually changing me in my approach to other people, life in general and then how I look at the time that I have left on this planet."

Two years ago, Roy told Chaoszine about his split with KAMELOT: "I'm really, really extremely thankful that KAMELOT was able to continue without me, 'cause I had no intention to hurt the band. It was a very personal decision to quit the band and I simply had to. And I'm just glad that everything turned out in the end to be… They managed to go on without me, and I'm just very thankful for that, really."

Khan, who reformed his pre-KAMELOT band CONCEPTION six years ago and released an EP, 2018's "My Dark Symphony", and a full-length album, 2020's "State Of Deception", previously reflected on the circumstances that led to him ending his long working relationship with KAMELOT during an appearance in 2021 on the "Breaking Absolutes With Peter Orullian" podcast. Roy said: "That whole thing was a cocktail of several things that just happened to climax at that point. As you all, KAMELOT was getting more and more popular, so I was away months every year — like half the year at least I was gone. I was having a family, and that right there was starting to tear me apart. And then I was living my life not very healthy — let's put it that way — and I did a lot of stupid stuff back then that… I knew in my heart that it was going down the drain."

He continued: "I remember every night when I sang [the KAMELOT song] 'Karma', I would feel that this shit is gonna knock me on the back of the head at some point. If it's gonna tomorrow, [if] it's gonna be two years from now, I don't know, but the way I live my life, that's not gonna work — it's not sustainable. And then it happened. I knew for so many years, actually, that this was gonna not work out, and then, all of a sudden, it happened. I broke down. I had a full summer where I barely slept — like six to eight weeks where I didn't sleep a whole lot of hours during those six to eight weeks, and I was going really completely crazy. And in connection with that, a lot of stuff happened."

According to Khan, leaving KAMELOT after a 13-year run weighed heavily on him at the time.

"Quitting KAMELOT was the best decision that I've ever made, and by that I don't mean that… KAMELOT was a fantastic thing in my life, and Thomas [Youngblood, KAMELOT founder] and the other guys — it had nothing to do with them; it was all me and the way I lived my life, and I just couldn't take it any longer," he explained. "And I was also overworked — I worked all the time. Even when I was home. The first thing I'd do when I got back home is I would kick my shoes off in the hallway and I'd just sit right down at the computer and start working. I was really not a good husband and I was not a good father. Lots of things weren't good about me at that point.

"Quitting KAMELOT at that point, it was easy but it was hard," he elaborated. "It was easy because I didn't really have a choice. I was really wrecked. And at the same time, it was hard because I'd been working to get to that point my whole life, basically — 20 years, at least — and finally I was there. And then I threw the towel in and said, 'Hey, guys, I'm not coming in for the next tour.' 'Okay. Well, what's wrong?' 'Well, actually, I'm not coming back at all.' And obviously, everybody… My mom was, like, 'Are you kidding me? Are you serious?' Then the guys in the band, they thought that it was gonna pass. But I knew in my heart that summer [of 2010], already in August, I knew that that's it."

KAMELOT officially announced Tommy Karevik as its new lead singer in June 2012. The Florida-based band has recorded four albums so far with the Swedish vocalist: 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven", 2018's "The Shadow Theory" and 2023's "The Awakening".

Asked if he has listened to any of KAMELOT's recent material with Karevik, Roy told Italy's SpazioRock back in 2018: "Yes I have. I really like some of their new stuff. Sounds classical KAMELOT in my ears, and Tommy is a great singer."

As a surprise warm-up for Conception coming to Latin America in March, Roy is doing a guest appearance with former Angra...

Posted by Conceptionmusic on Thursday, December 14, 2023

THE PRETTY RECKLESS has entered the studio to begin recording its fifth album.

Three days ago, THE PRETTY RECKLESS's official Instagram account shared a short video from the studio and captioned it simply "#5". One day later, THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer posted what appeared to be a new picture of her in the studio with Jonathan Wyman, who co-produced THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, 2021's "Death By Rock And Roll", apparently confirming that Wyman has re-teamed with the group for the upcoming LP.

In a May 2023 interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, Momsen revealed that she and her THE PRETTY RECKLESS bandmates had commenced work on the follow-up to "Death By Rock And Roll".

"We're in a great headspace," she said. "We're just having fun with it, and wrapping up the tour cycle of 'Death By Rock And Roll'. And then new record — and it's next chapter. We've already kind of started it… We've gotten into a studio; we've stepped foot into a studio. So that's saying something for us."

Regarding when fans can expect to hear new music from THE PRETTY RECKLESS, Taylor told 99.7 The Blitz eight months ago: "I don't know how long it's gonna take. I have no dates for anyone or any more insight other than that. But we have walked into a studio and we are super, super excited."

In November 2022, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", via Fearless Records. The effort saw the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and consists of Momsen, guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

In 2021, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

In a new interview with GuitarWorld.com editor-in-chief Michael Astley-Brown, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci was asked if he and his bandmates have commenced work on any new music with their returning original drummer Mike Portnoy. Petrucci responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, very soon. So, we start the new album in less than two weeks. And we're looking forward to it.

"It's really exciting to have [Portnoy] back in the band," John continued. "We started the band together. I talked [earlier in the interview] about being 18 at Berklee [College Of Music]; that's where we met. And we've been friends ever since. So, having him back in the band is really special to all of us. I know he's really excited as well.

"We haven't started [working on new music]. We haven't written a note yet, but I'm sure when we get together, it's just gonna be like old times. So, I'm really looking forward to doing that and diving in."

Asked where he wants to take his guitar playing on the next DREAM THEATER album, Petrucci said: "Uh, you know what? To me, making a new record is an opportunity to kind of say, like, 'All right, what haven't I done before? What can I do that's gonna be interesting to me, that's gonna sort of make me excited?' And usually, if you start out with that kind of goal, it'll happen. You'll come up with stuff. You'll explore. And I try not to be satisfied right away and try to like just change things up.

"So, I don't know the answer to that," he explained. "We'll find out. But I think what's gonna be fun is just all getting together in the studio and seeing where things go and kind of reuniting with that sort of classic magic that started the band. It's exciting. And I think that's gonna dictate where things go. But on the guitar, man, I don't know. I can't wait. I love it. I love being in the studio."

Earlier this month, Portnoy was asked by The Prog Report about the status of some of his other projects, including THE WINERY DOGS and SONS OF APOLLO, and how they will be affected by his recent return to DREAM THEATER. He responded: "I did first 25 years with DREAM THEATER and then I'd spent 13 years, which is almost half that time, with the post-DREAM THEATER chapter and I did so much. I mean, it's gotta be 50 albums or whatever with dozens of bands. I could not have been more fulfilled with how I spent those dozen years apart from DREAM THEATER. I could not have possibly written a more productive script than what I was able to do and achieve and create. So, some of those projects and relationships will continue into the future, but obviously DREAM THEATER is now my home again, and that's my priority. And surely for these first couple of years back, that's gonna be my focus, and I will be devoted to that primarily, probably without much distraction. Down the years, maybe I could revisit some stuff with some of those relationships and bands and projects and people. We'll see. But I'm just kind of looking where I'm at now, and where I'm at now is back in DREAM THEATER, and that's gonna be the focus."

He continued: "We start working on a new album after the New Year. And I cannot wait to tour and get on stage with those guys again. That's gonna be the most exciting thing about it, of it all. So where the future lies for any of my other bands and projects, time will tell. Some will probably slip away, some will survive. And we'll see; it might have future chapters. But right now my focus is just on DREAM THEATER. But I do have a tremendous sense of closure for all of that stuff I did do over the last 12, 13 years. And it was an amazing adventure and an amazing ride and I couldn't be happier with the fruits of my labor. Really, it was an incredible time. But I'm ready for this — I don't wanna say 'final act,' but the reality is if you look at our ages, it probably is the final act… And there's really no better place that I should be spending it than where it all began with my brothers in DREAM THEATER. We formed that band when I was in college. The three of us formed it in college as teenagers. It's poetic justice that we should ride off into the sunset together and end it together as well. It really seems like that's the way it should be."

Portnoy previously talked about his return to DREAM THEATER last month in an interview with Drumeo. Regarding how he ended up back in the band, Portnoy said: "It's been 13 years, and I think time heals all wounds, as the expression goes. It's been many, many years now of kind of rekindling my relationships with the guys, starting with [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci… Maybe five, six, seven years ago or so, we just reconnected. Our families — his wife and my wife were in a band together even before we knew our wives. Our kids have grown up together. My daughter and John Petrucci's daughter shared an apartment together in New York for the last five years. So the families were still close. So John and I inevitably reconnected on a personal level. And I guess it really started to gain some traction during COVID lockdown because I couldn't tour and DREAM THEATER couldn't tour, so John decided he wanted to do a solo album and he asked me to play on it. So that was the first step, I guess, in this direction. So I played on John's solo album. And then a few months later, we did an LTE [LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT] album with, with JohnandJordan [Rudess, DREAM THEATER keyboardist]. So that brought three of us back together. And then the following year I ended up doing John's solo tour, and our wives' band were opening for us. So we had the wives out with us. So it just seemed like it was all starting to come together on a personal level and then the musical level as well. And then I think the final piece was me reconnecting with [DREAM THEATER singer] James LaBrie 'cause James and I hadn't spoken for over a decade."

He continued: "I went to see DREAM THEATER play in New York, I guess around 2022, and that was my first time seeing James in over a decade. And literally, I'm not exaggerating, within five seconds of seeing each other, it was hugs, kisses and it was like any of the drama and bullshit that happened during all of those years of the split, it just melted away immediately. And with James and I buddying up again, it kind of just… it began to seem like an inevitability. It wasn't ever, I don't think, in either of our plans to eventually reunite. In fact, if you would have asked me this five years ago, I probably wouldn't have put money on it. But with the developments of everything I just laid out for you, then it started to really feel like, well, maybe this is inevitable. It just seems like we're in the right place and the right time at this stages of our lives. All those years of DREAM THEATER, we were in our twenties and thirties and forties. And now here we are, most of us in our fifties and some of the members in their sixties, and it just seems like life is too short to not be with the people you love and play the music that is part of your life and your heart and soul. So, yeah, here we are."

 Portnoy went on to say that he had no hard feelings for Mangini, who has been publicly very supportive of Portnoy's return to the band.

"It was nice to see something like this happen with taking the high road and class and grace and dignity and not a war of words and drama and B.S.," Portnoy said. "This was really handled so well, and I have to give Mike Manginiall the credit in the world for that, 'cause it's not easy being replaced. I can't imagine. He handled it really well, and I guess the things he said were so classy. So, yeah, I was really glad to see how well he took it. 'Cause I was a little concerned about that. But it couldn't have come off any better."

Portnoy noted that he had been "friends with [Mangini] before he even knew any of the guys in DREAM THEATER. He and I were friends in the '90s when he was still playing in EXTREME and stuff like that and we would do clinics together and stuff," he said. "So, yeah, he's an old friend. And I could never get mad at the guy for taking the gig. I mean, how could you not? It was a great opportunity and a great gig. So, yeah, it was nice when all those resentments and all that stuff melted away, because it was a tough couple of years in the start of the split."

As for Portnoy's role during DREAM THEATER's new era, the drummer said: "I think that was the one discussion that John Petrucci and I had. We still to this point even haven't talked about business or money or finances or any of that. It was all about, okay, we know we love each other. We know we wanna play together again. But what is the new dynamic gonna be? Because for all those first 25 years, John and I produced the albums together. We kind of led the band together. I was handling the bulk of the responsibilities and decisions making and things like that. And so when I left the band, I was very much a control freak. And then now the last 13 years or so, obviously they've had to re-design their inner structure and how they function, how they work. I think John produces the albums himself now. So it remains to be seen how the 'new old' DREAM THEATER will function. But I think we're all older and wiser."

He continued: "When I left the band 13 years ago, I was a control freak — absolutely. I'll be the first to admit it. And I think as time has gone on, I've loosened up on all that. All the bands I've done over the last 13 years, I've had to learn how to compromise, how to collaborate, how to let go of things. I've even had these hired-gun gigs with TWISTED [SISTER] and AVENGED [SEVENFOLD] where I just play drums. So, we're just gonna have to find our feet in the new dynamic. I think there will be many areas that I hope I could regain some control, like writing the setlists, it was always a big one for me. But then there's other areas that I'm more than happy to step away and not even be involved with. I'd be happy to not write any lyrics again, which is what I used to always write a lot of lyrics back in the day. But I'd be fine with not doing that. It's a lot of things — designing the artwork or the merchandise. You've gotta pick your battles, and I guess we'll find our feet and see where everybody kind of fits into the structure of the new dynamic."

Portnoy attended DREAM THEATER's concert in March 2022 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time he witnessed his then-former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit 13 years ago.

When Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER was first announced on October 25, Mangini said in a statement: "I understand DREAM THEATER's decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor."

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 38 years ago. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Finnish cello metal band, Apocalyptica, have shared a new video along with the following message:


"On this day 19 years ago we released our fifth studio album, Apocalyptica, which features the track, 'Deathzone' Enjoy this special version from our performance at St. John’s Church in Helsinki 2021."







Apocalyptica recently released a new single and music video for “What We’re Up Against” featuring Amaranthe singer Elize Ryd.





Apocalyptica have released the video below, along with the following message:


"Join the Apocalyptica Patreon family! Over the last couple of months, we had a lot of conversations about how to create a digital space for our community in which we are not limited by algorithms. We had brainstormings about how to get more interaction with you guys, talks about special merch items, ideas about how to publish unseen material… and finally found the platform for all of this: Patreon! Join us and be part of the next chapter in our band history."


Join here.

Former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell spoke to Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic about the status of his long-awaited autobiography. He said: "We're probably about three months away [from completion], I think. But I've been hearing that for the last nine months. [Laughs] 'We're three months away. We're three months away. We're three months away.' No, it's actually, it's getting real close. It's really, really good. I'm very excited about it. The young lady who's been working on it with me, Katelyn [Louise] Doty, she's just a fantastic writer. And we really got to be good friends, and she really got the gist of who I am as a person. So it came out, or it's coming out, really spectacularly. I'm really proud of it."

Back in December 2021, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream that he gets along with Doty, who is Chip Z'Nuff's wife, "like peas and carrots. So it's gonna be a really great book," he added. "What I've read is really great. We've got a lot of people that have done interviews for it. Even [A&R guru] John Kalodner came out of the closet [to be interviewed for it]. No, he didn't come out of the closet — I didn't mean the 'closet' closet."

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by guitarist Mark Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

Russell previously discussed his book in a 2016 interview, saying: "I'm just dumping everything in this book. And there might be a couple of lawsuits out of it, I would imagine. I'm gonna have to have my lawyers check it out before I release it. But, I mean, I don't really think that's gonna happen. 'Cause the book is about myself and what I've [gone through] and not so much about other people. But there are gonna be spots where somebody might raise an eyebrow and go, 'Hmmm….' It's gonna make some people upset. But it'll make more people laugh. If you're the butt of the joke, that's just the way it goes. [Laughs]"

Six years ago, Russell said that one of the main reasons he was writing a book was "because I want people to know that no matter how far down the ladder you fall you can always climb back up. You don't have to stay down," he told Daily Boom. "Whether you have a drug an alcohol problem or anything else for that matter, you can pull yourself out of it. You can accomplish so much in life if you just believe in it and visualize it. Nothing happens by chance, and I believe that everyone that you meet has some sort of message for you, if you listen closely enough. It might be a stranger that says something random to you that you shrug off, but if you sit and think about it, maybe they said something that you were supposed to hear. You just never know when you are being used as that voice of encouragement for someone else. I don't believe that anything happens by coincidence; it's all for a reason, both good and bad. Life isn't random; it's very well choreographed and we're here to learn."

JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES, the band led by former MARILYN MANSON and ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, kicked off the first tour since he joined MÖTLEY CRÜE as the replacement for Mick Mars this past Friday, January 26 at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of the bryan charters YouTube channel).

Support acts on the trek, which will wrap up on March 1, 2024 at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, California, include former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman (February 21-28 only),LILIAC, Jared James Nichols, Nikki Stringfield and VAN HALEN tribute act THE ATOMIC PUNKS.

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. As well as a songwriter/guitarist for hire, John 5 has shared the stage as axeman for ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON and JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford. He has also worked with an impressive array of names, from all walks of music, including Steve Perry, KD Lang, Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Tina Guo, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Meat Loaf, Ricky Martin and Steven Adler.

John 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world. Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around" and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder". John 5 has released seven solo albums to date, as well as a remix album.

In 2015, following a series of web shows to celebrate the release of his solo album "Careful With That Axe", John 5 decided to take his solo set on tour and formed THE CREATURES band to support his live shows. Initially joined by long-term friend Rodger Carter on drums, the band continues touring to this day, and now work as a unit on 5's solo albums, including "Season Of The Witch", the live album "It's Alive", "Invasion" and 2021's "Sinner".

In October 2022, it was revealed that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following the announcement that Mick Mars would be retiring. John 5 recently spent time on the road with MÖTLEY CRÜE as part of "The World Tour" with DEF LEPPARD.

It's 2024! Can't wait to head out on the road.. Marty Friedman will join me on the Feb 21-28 shows and The Liliac Band...

Posted by John 5 on Wednesday, January 3, 2024

During a new interview with Classic Rock, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford stated that “If one person deserves a knighthood, it’s Ozzy Osbourne, just for the joy he’s given people over the years.”


In the same interview, Halford looked back on his unlikely encounter with the late Queen Elizabeth. He was introduced to her majesty by light entertainer Cilla Black at an event to celebrate British music held at Buckingham Palace.


Halford: “I was standing in line with Cilla, who I’d met earlier, waiting to meet the Queen. Cilla has met her before, and she says, ‘This is Rob Halford, he’s flown in from Finland to be here.’ And the Queen said, ‘You play music? What kind of music do you play?’ So I said, ‘Heavy metal.’ And she said, ‘Oh, heavy metal? Why do they have to play so loud?’ So I just went, ‘So you can bang your head, your majesty.’ It was such a lovely night, talking about heavy metal to the Queen.”




Read the complete article here.


Mirror.co.uk is exclusively reporting that Black Sabbath legend, Ozzy Osbourne, is planning two final concerts to say goodbye to his fans.


According to the report, the sensational shows, which will take place in his hometown of Birmingham, England, have been revealed by his wife Sharon, who is also his manager. She said despite previous gig dates being axed and fears he may be retired from the stage - Ozzy WILL play live again as a final goodbye to fans.


Ozzy, 75, has taken a step back from his hectic touring schedule in recent years due to his Parkinson's battle and requiring surgery after a fall.


The Black Sabbath singer had a fall at home in 2019 which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. Since that time, Osbourne has performed during the closing ceremony at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and an NFL game in the US in September of the same year.


Sharon said: "He won't tour again but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like 'I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye properly'."


Seeming to suggest the venue could be Aston Villa's stadium Villa Park, she added: "We will do it in Aston Villa where Ozzy is from.


"His voice is still absolutely perfect. And all the time he has been off he still does his singing lessons so his voice is perfect. And he can joke yeah. He has all these melodies in his head. Even if you don't like his music you can't not like Ozzy, he just draws you in."


Read more at Mirror.co.uk, and stay tuned for updates on the shows.

During DISTURBED's concert at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Tuesday (January 23),singer David Draiman invited a 13-year-old boy called Brady to sing in front of a packed audience in a moment that has been shared on YouTube.

Draiman brought Brady up on stage after seeing the newly minted teen holding up a sign in the crowd that read: "Can I sing The Game with you for my birthday please?"

YouTube channel Tye Dyed Traveling Guy has posted full video of Brady's appearance, along with the message: SO COOL!!! During the DISTURBED Concert at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, January 23rd, David Draiman read a sign in the crowd that said this kid 'Brady', wanted to sing 'The Game' with David for his 13th Birthday! This kid did an AWESOME job and will remember this moment FOREVER!!!"

DISTURBED kicked off the 2024 leg of its "Take Back Your Life" tour on Friday, January 19 at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois. The band's 21-song setlist included the live debut of the "Divisive" album track "Don't Tell Me" featuring a guest appearance by Moriah Formica of the opening band PLUSH.

Released in November 2022, "Divisive" was recorded earlier that 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.

Loudwire's Joe DiVita sat down with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden at Brooklyn's Saint Vitus Bar to discuss The Mandrake Project, Bruce's upcoming solo album and accompanying series of comic books. Bruce chats about how the idea for a comic began, it's dark story, working with songwriting partner Roy Z on the solo album and how it's different from writing with Iron Maiden, his first-ever recorded guitar solo and a lot more.





During the chat, Bruce revealed he’s working on a remix and Dolby Atmos mix of his 1996 album Skunkworks. The album is known for having a hard/alternative rock sound that was a departure from his previous material. 







Skunkworks featured the lineup of Dickinson on vocals, Alex Dickson on guitar, Chris Dale on bass, and Alessandro Elena on drums.





Across ten inventive, expansive and absorbing tracks, Dickinson and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy Z, have created one of 2024’s defining rock albums. Sonically heavy and rich in musical textures, The Mandrake Project sees Bruce bring to life a musical vision long-in-the-making, and features some of the finest vocal performances of his career.


Recorded largely at LA’s Doom Room with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist, the lineup for The Mandrake Project was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce’s last solo studio album, Tyranny Of Souls, in 2005.


The Mandrake Project is Dickinson’s seventh solo album. It will be released via BMG worldwide on multiple formats. Pre-order here.





The Mandrake Project tracklisting


"Afterglow Of Ragnarok"
"Many Doors To Hell"
"Rain On The Graves"
"Resurrection Men"
"Fingers In The Wounds"
"Eternity Has Failed"
"Mistress Of Mercy"
"Face In The Mirror"
"Shadow Of The Gods"
"Sonata (Immortal Beloved)"


"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" video:





Bruce Dickinson and his phenomenal band will bring the music of The Mandrake Project to life with a major headline tour next spring and summer.


The Mandrake Project tour dates:


April
18 - Diana Theater - Guadalajara, Mexico
20 - Pepsi Theatre - Mexico City, Mexico
24 - Live Curitiba - Curitiba, Brazil
25 - Pepsi On Stage - Porto Alegre, Brazil
27 - Opera Hall - Brasilia, Brazil
28 - Arena Hall - Belo Horizonte, Brazil
30- Qualistage - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil


May
2 - Quinta Linda - Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
4 - Vibra - Sao Paulo, Brazil
18 - Barrowland Ballroom - Glasgow, UK
19 - O2 Academy - Manchester, UK
21 - Arena - Swansea, UK
23 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK
24 - O2 Forum Kentish Town - London, UK
26 - L’Olympia - Paris, France
28 - 013 - Tilburg, Holland
29 - De Oosterport - Groningen, Holland


June
1 - Barba Negra - Budapest, Hungary
3 - Arenale Romane - Bucharest, Romania
5-8 - Mystic Festival - Gdansk, Poland *
5-8 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden *
9 - Rockefeller - Oslo, Norway
11 - Grona Lund - Stockholm, Sweden
13 - House Of Culture - Helsinki, Finland
14 - Noblessner Foundry - Tallinn, Estonia
16 - Huxleys Neue Welt - Berlin, Germany
17 - Grosse Freiheit 36 - Hamburg, Germany
19-22 - Copenhell - Copenhagen, Denmark *
22 - Summerside Festival - Grenchen, Switzerland *
24 - Zeltfestival Rhein-Neckar - Mannheim, Germany *
25 - Circus Krone - Munich, Germany
27-30 - Hellfest - Clisson, France *
30 - Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg


July
3-6 - Rockharz Open Air - Ballenstedt, Germany *
5 - Ippodrome Delle Capannelle, Rock In Rome - Rome, Italy *
6 - Bassano Del Grappa, Metal Park - Vincenza, Italy *
9 - E-Werk - Koln, Germany
13 - Hala - Zagreb, Croatia
16 - Kolodrum Arena - Sofia, Bulgaria
19 - Kucukciftlik Park - Istanbul, Turkey
21 - Plateia Nerou - Athens, Greece (supporting Judas Priest)


* - festival performance


Bruce Dickinson’s touring band features guitarist Roy Z, drummer Dave Moreno, bass-player Tanya O’Callaghan and keyboard maestro Mistheria. For more information regarding the tour click here.

In a new interview with Larry Mac of the 96.1 KLPX radio station, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked why it has taken him nearly 10 years to release new music after the arrival of his last album, 2014's "Give 'Em Hell". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, that had a lot to do with business and also the pandemic. That took the wind out of all our sails for a couple of years. But that's when I actually buckled down, 'cause I had nothing else to do other than Cameos [video messages]. [Laughs] So, yeah, I used that time to go to Orlando, Florida. We all lived at [producer Michael] 'Elvis' Baskette's studio, Studio Barbarosa [in Gotha, Florida]. I've never had an experience like that. The closest was the first SKID ROW album. We lived in the same hotel then, but we didn't live in the same house. For this album, we all lived together and just focused on the album. And I can't wait for it to come out. I can't wait for you to hear it."

Regarding which other musicians were involved in writing and recording his upcoming album, Bach said: "I did an album 10 years ago. It's so crazy. I thought it was eight years ago, but people are telling me it's 10. I don't know exactly. But it's called 'Give 'Em Hell' was my last album. And I worked with a guitar player named Devin Bronson, who I was introduced to from Duff McKagan from GUNS N' ROSES. He goes, 'Baz, I got this guitar player who's such an incredible songwriter. You've gotta hook up with him.' And that was from Duff. Duff was on my last record. And that's Devin Bronson. And so Devin I teamed up with again. He just crushes me with riffs. He'll send me, like, five ideas and I'll like, like, two of them, but he won't get his feelings hurt. He'll say, 'Okay.' And then he'll send me 10 more. That's how it happened. But then when I went to do the record, [ALTER BRIDGE's] Myles Kennedy reached out to Elvis, his buddy, and said, 'Hey, would Sebastian be interested in hearing any of my ideas?' And I go, 'Are you kidding me?' I don't care if my neighbor wrote a good song."

This past November, Bach released a new single, "What Do I Got To Lose?" The song's official music video, which was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera, can be seen below.

"What Do I Got To Lose?" was co-written by Sebastian, Myles Kennedy and Baskette, the latter of whom also served as the track's producer. Guitars lock into a heart-thumping groove on the track as Sebastian's voice rings out on the refrain, "I'm holding on for judgment day." The momentum gives way to a fret-burning lead. For the video, Sebastian is joined by his former SKID ROW bandmate, drummer Rob Affuso.

For the release of "What Do I Got To Lose?", the singer, songwriter, author, Broadway star, and actor teamed up with Reigning Phoenix Music.

Among the other musicians who have assisted Bach during the writing and recording process for his new music are Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, Michael Jackson),John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (Billy Idol),Brent Woods, Eli Santana and Jeremy Colson.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since the aforementioned "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

Although Bach had said in some of his interviews a few years ago that his next record would be less musically aggressive and it would be "more uplifting and fun," he told WRIF that he has since had a change of heart.

"Well, before [the new record deal] happened, I was thinking of doing more of an acoustic-based record because I've done a lot of solo records," he said. "I've done 'Angel Down', which I'm very proud of that album,. Then 'Kicking & Screaming', which is a great album. 'Give 'Em Hell'… Not to mention 'ABachalypse Now', which is a three-record set. 'Forever Wild' DVD, 'Bring 'Em Bach Alive!'… I've put out a lot of records. And putting out the last one, when I put so much time and effort into it and it doesn't get the attention that it deserves, for me as an artist, I'm, like, 'Fuck!' So I was, like, you know what? If I'm gonna put out another heavy metal, hard rock album, I need help. I need a company around me that's gonna put the same kind of attention and time and effort into it as I am. So now that looks like it's happening. So now I'm changing the way I'm looking at things."

On the live front, Sebastian will hit the road in 2024 for a mix of solo gigs and festival appearances, with more dates to be announced in the coming months.

KINGDOM COME singer Keith St. John, who joined the band in 2018 as the replacement for original frontman Lenny Wolf, spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the passing of the group's drummer, James Kottak. Kottak, who was open about his battle with alcoholism, died Tuesday morning (January 9) in Louisville, Kentucky. He was 61. No cause of death has been given.

"He went through his ups and downs, obviously," Keith said. "And in the end, it seemed like he was really trying to pull it back together. I know he was just through a 48-day program, trying to do the rehab thing. And I don't really have all the grisly details of the last day. They're still kind of coming in. I haven't talked to his sister yet, 'cause everybody's just too out of it right now."

St. John also reflected on the fact that KINGDOM COME was forced to use a different drummer, SLAUGHTER's Blas Elias, instead of James for most of the band's shows in the last year and a half due to Kottak's deteriorating health.

"After a certain level of [James's] playing going away, which was just heartbreaking, 'cause really when he came out, he was like the second coming of [John] Bonham or something, in the '80s," Keith said. "And it was just heartbreaking to see him struggling to play. I mean, of all things, this is James Kotak; he was right on top. And the decision to — I can't say — just part ways with him, put it that way, until he got better and get another guy was tough — probably tougher for the other guys, 'cause they had a really long history with him, especially one of the guitar players, Rick Steier, who grew up with James down near Louisville, Kentucky, which is where he's from. This is a guy that was his partner in crime, quote-unquote, for all these years, even off the stage and off the road. But finally, we just had to do it, man. It just got to that point where we didn't wanna see him embarrass himself, and it just wasn't good for the band, promoters weren't liking it. So, yeah, we had to bail."

KINGDOM COME's most recent touring lineup consisted of St. John and Elias alongside guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier and bassist Johnny B. Frank.

Kottak's daughter Tobi told TMZ her father passed away in Louisville, where he lived until 1987, although further details about the exact circumstances weren't immediately available.

In addition to SCORPIONS and KINGDOM COME, Kottak had toured with such bands as WARRANT and even DIO for a short run. James was also involved in various other projects, including the 1990s band KRUNK in which he sang lead vocals and played guitar.

Kottak was married to Athena Lee, the sister of MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee, from 1996 to 2010.

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall, who quit drinking more than 15 years ago and is now a proudly sober recovery advocate, posted on social media that he "reached out to James Kottak a month ago offering support and help with his alcoholism but he wasn't ready.

"I could have gotten him into rehab free through connections and I told him that," Kendall added. "I'm so sad to hear of his passing. I feel bad for everyone who loved him and he had a grandchild. RIP."

Kottak spoke about his alcohol issues in an April 2023 interview with Tulsa Music Stream. He said in part: "I've had a few bouts with booze over the years. But what people don't know is all the years that I was sober. 2008 to 2011. And here a year, and there a year. And when our kids [with his ex-wife Athena Lee], were in the oven. I spent a lot of time not drinking. And then I had my moments when I did drink. And that doesn't mean I'm falling down drunk, walking around with a bottle around the house."

James, who said in a separate interview that he had been sober since October 2022, added that he hadn't been able to completely give up drinking. "Well, I'm not gonna say I haven't drank anything," he said. "When I go out [and] I see some guys playing, I'm standing there and everybody wants to buy me a drink. And I go, 'No, no,' and finally I take it and I have a couple of glasses of white wine. And then I'm pissed at myself. And so there you go."

He added: "I wish I could say, 'Oh, yeah, I've been sober for six years.' It hasn't worked like that for me. I've been in and out and in and out and in and out — and mostly 'in', meaning not drinking. But I've had my moments. And it's an ongoing process. It's progress, not perfection, as we say."

A year ago, the musician told Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live! that he "fell out of bed" in his sleep in July 2022 and "cracked, like, three or four ribs". He also said that he "cracked" his hip in the fall of 2022 after when he "tripped and fell on the pavement" in a completely separate incident.

In March 2023, St. John spoke to Italy's Poisoned Rock about KINGDOM COME's now-infamous appearance in June 2022 at Sweden Rock Festival, which was described by the popular Swedish site Rocknytt as the event's "biggest fuckup." Writer Peter Johansson singled out Kottak, saying that the drummer played "really badly, sluggishly" and at times failed to keep the tempo "worryingly throughout the concert". At the end of the show, Kottak "stumbled to the edge of the stage to bow with his bandmates," according to Rocknytt. Also critical of KINGDOM COME's performance was renowned Swedish music journalist and guitar player Janne Stark, who took to his Facebook page to share a photo of the gig and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "I've never seen a drummer fall asleep on stage before but James Kottak is pretty damn close. Drunk? He slows down every song to half tempo. KINGDOM COME, sorry guys but this is SHIT!"

Keith said: "That was the show… I hate to say this, but it's in the best interest of James and the band… I think James should have started working on his health and what was happening with him earlier than that, earlier in the year, 'cause he was already… But James, he has a youthful spirit, and he wants to keep on going. He's one of those guys that at the last breath of life is gonna be clawing and climbing up the cliff and playing drums and going out there and doing it. It was a hard situation, but at Sweden Rock the band wound up getting some negative reviews in the press, and it was largely because of the performance on the drums, I hate to [say it]," the singer admitted.

KINGDOM COME played its first two shows with Elias in September 2022 in Texas. That same month, Kottak announced that he wouldn't play with his KINGDOM COME bandmates at their concerts in Texas. In the early hours of August 21, 2022, James took to his Twitter to write: "I will not be at the Kingdom Come Plano or San Antonio shows so don't waste your time thanks jams k [sic]".

Kottak publicly discussed KINGDOM COME's performance at Sweden Rock for the first time in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" conducted just days after the concert. Regarding what caused the show to fall short of expectations, James said: "I wanna say about eight or nine days ago, maybe 10 days ago, in the middle of the night, like four o'clock in the morning, I was in a dead sleep and I just rolled off the bed and I cracked three ribs on my left side. And I went to my chiropractor guy and he says, 'Oh, you have hairline fractures.' And I'm, like, 'Oh, great.' And dude, it's just been non-stop pain. It's not just my ribs; it's head to toe. That's why things were a little bit slower. 'Cause I took ibuprofen and the usual, Aleve or whatever, but, man, it was an uphill battle from the time we started. And it was just — I mean, not pain; I'm talking pain-pain, big-time stuff. That's no excuse, because the show must go on. But, yeah, I was a little slower than usual. But also we [usually] have a click track, of course, 'cause we might have a little bit of playback. Something was up with that, so we were flying solo… And [when] you don't have it, you go, 'Oh-oh. Okay. We'll do this.' It was just an off day, and there's nothing you can do about it."

According to James, there was "definitely no drinking" involved prior to the KINGDOM COME mishap at Sweden Rock. "Because that with the medication, it doesn't go good together," he explained. "And it was just an off day, man. I did everything to [make it better] — tons of tea, this and that, and all the usual things that I do — but, man, it was just too soon after falling that we went to play this gig. But it's Sweden Rock, and you don't wanna bail out on that."

Asked if alcohol contributed to him falling out of bed prior to the Sweden Rock performance, Kottak said: "I always sleep on the left side of the bed, and I just somehow, in my sleep, rolled off the bed and landed on my left side. I mean, that's really it. I wasn't drinking — nothing like that. Yeah, I have a few white wines here and there, but nothing like that. I just rolled off the bed. And that's the first time in my life that's ever happened where I actually fell off. I woke up and saw stars. It took me 15 minutes to get off the floor. These things happen sometimes, and there's nothing you can do. With SCORPIONS, going up my riser to get to my drums, there were, like, 14 steps, and I fell down those stairs at least five times, if not six times. Because I was like a dummy — I was always spitting this water. And I'd finish a song and I'd come down not thinking, and, just, 'Whoop', right on my ass."

James also denied that his battle with alcoholism was the primary reason he was fired from the SCORPIONS in 2016. He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

"I hate to say it, but Blabbermouth's kind of been the worst James basher," Kottak said. "They always say — any article about SCORPIONS, they say, 'Yeah, ever since James Kottak was released for alcohol abuse.' So I e-mailed them one day and said, 'Man, stop saying that.' We parted ways. It wasn't just from alcohol, dude. We went through five years of negotiations, 'cause the manager and tour manager both died within six months of each other. Then the band decided to self-manage, which is cool. But I'll tell you what, man — that's when it was a super-bumpy road and we were just not on the same page anymore. And that happens with bands."

Four years ago, Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996, told the SCORPIONS official fan club Crazyscorps about the circumstances that led to his departure from the legendary German hard rock band: "I always liked a drink here and there. And then I always also take a pain medication called Aleve. It's what all the baseball players take, all the footballers, and it works like a charm. You take those of those and you don't feel anything. But on top of that, I'm a rock drummer in a rock band, and you've got the green light to drink.

"From 2008 to 2011, I didn't drink," he explained. "I just woke up one day and said, 'I just don't wanna drink anymore.' I didn't go to rehab; I didn't do any of that stuff. I just didn't wanna drink anymore.

"If you have any knowledge of A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] or any type of program or rehab, it only lasts so long and then you have what we call in recovery a relapse. I would go through these phases of a year or maybe two years of no drinking, and then you gradually…

"SCORPIONS, we play our show, we go back to the hotel, [and] 45 minutes later, we're all downstairs having dinner," he continued. "And everything's just the right price — free. All these flights back and forth from Europe, from L.A. — I was just flying constantly. Which I'm not complaining about, but it's always business or first class, and once again, all the booze is at the right price. I'm going, 'I've got the next two days off. I might as well have a drink.' And that's what triggered me to start drinking again sometimes. It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."

In a recent interview with the "On The Road To Rock With Clint Switzer" podcast, DOKKEN leader Don Dokken explained why he and his bandmates decided in the beginning to split their songwriting royalties equally between the four members of the group. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "DOKKEN was a very unusual band. When I formed the band, even though I'd been DOKKEN for years and years before I met George [Lynch, former DOKKEN guitarist] and Jeff [Pilson, former DOKKEN bassist] and Mick [Brown, former DOKKEN drummer] — I'd already toured Germany twice — but when we finally came together, I said, 'Let's make it simple. You write a hit, you write a hit, you write a hit, we'll just split it four ways. It doesn't matter who writes what. May the best songs win.' And that's how it was. Now, looking back, I could say it was a stupid thing to do, because I wrote a lot of the hits and I gave up 75 percent to the three of them. So instead of me getting four bucks, I got a dollar and Mick got a dollar and George got a dollar and Jeff got a dollar and the management took theirs and the accountants took theirs, and I thought, 'Jesus.' I go, 'I lost millions' writing 'In My Dreams' and 'Just Got Lucky' or 'Alone Again'. I mean, I can name a bazillion songs that I wrote by myself on the guitar and wrote all the music. But that's the deal we made. We were nobody. We weren't famous. Hey, if George wrote a hit, I get money. Jeff writes a hit, I get money. Mick's the one that scored. He didn't write. We rehearsed the songs for a week, go into a rehearsal studio, flesh it all out, pick the 12 best songs, Mick comes in the studio for four or five days, knocks out his drums and he goes to the drug dealer and then he heads off for the Rainbow [Bar & Grill in West Hollywood]. I said, 'Mick, you scored. You made millions of dollars and all you had to do was spend a couple of weeks playing drums.'"

Almost a decade ago, Lynch spoke about the breakup of the classic DOKKEN lineup in 1989, telling Guitar Interactive magazine: "Here's the things that happens in a band… especially in our era, in the '80s, and I don't know, even now probably… But if you have a record deal, or a master deal, for a certain amount of time, and you have increasing record sales, and then you get to the point where the deal ends, your managers come in and renegotiate and you get paid. Then you're set for life — possibly. That's when everything changes. That's what you worked for for those however many years. This is where all your… Everything you've invested in time and energy, you get paid back for. And the singer [Don Dokken], at that point, decided that he wanted it all, he didn't wanna share it with [the rest of] us, and he let us know that. So after this [Monsters Of Rock] tour [in 1988 with VAN HALEN, METALLICA and SCORPIONS], where we were gonna go out and play in front of hundreds of thousands of people and get paid lots of money, [he basically said] 'I'm gonna try to take the whole thing and run with it, and you guys are gonna get left in the dust, and if you're lucky, I might hire you [to play in my band].' And you have to go on stage like that."

He continued: "The reason that we were on fire before that — we were so dedicated, we kept persevering — was because we were all working for something. It wasn't even for the money, it was just to get to that point. And success on all levels — musically and financially, so we could be secure, and all these things, for all the right reasons. And we took care of each other, and we were an equal-split band, and I fought for that. And by Monsters Of Rock, when Don announced that he was gonna, basically, try to grab the negotiation brass ring and keep it to himself, that backfired on all of us. Financially, it backfired on all of us, 'cause we didn't get that massive… At that point, I think, that year MÖTLEY CRÜE got a 25-million-dollar deal, ANTHRAX got a 12.5-million-dollar deal, we would have been fine. Basically, we had a lot of leverage. We were gonna be a free agent, so it was really a shame. It just didn't go right for anybody. So I went on to form LYNCH MOB, which did pretty well."

DOKKEN's current lineup consists of Don alongside bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

DOKKEN's 13th studio album, "Heaven Comes Down", came out in October via Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to "Broken Bones" was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).

In a recent interview with Germany's Riot Vision, STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok spoke to about the "electronic element" which was incorporated into the band's latest album, "Confessions Of The Fallen". Released in September via Alchemy Recordings/BMG, STAIND's first new LP album since 2011 was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

Mike said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, that was something that Aaron [Lewis, STAIND frontman] really wanted to explore. We had talked about it before, but we'd never really done it. So he really wanted to make that a part of what we were doing. And it was funny, 'cause I do remember saying to him, like, 'I play guitar. I don't know how to do that.' So that's where I feel like Erik played a really big part in helping make that a part of what this album sounds like. Some of those verses where you hear [and] it's like more electronic[-sounding], that's a guitar part I wrote just played on a synthesizer, [using] some crazy sound. So he was able to take some of those things that I wrote and adapt it to kind of bring in some of those elements into the music. And I think he did a great job. I like it. I'm pretty happy with it."

Asked what new musical elements he would like to explore on future STAIND albums, Mike said: "I don't know. To me, it's just really about trying to write great songs. It's really just kind of trying to take what we do and make it better. And I don't really have any kind of guidelines. If it calls for more electronics or — I don't know — a guitar solo or whatever the case may be, whatever really the song calls for, I think that that's what the best thing to explore is. But I was very happy with the process of making this record and how it came out. Some records have been really difficult to make. This one wasn't one of those. The way we did it, it took us a while, but we got there. And by the end of the day, once we got there, I was really happy with the end results."

When "Confessions Of The Fallen" was announced in April, Lewis stated about the LP's musical direction: "I did want to modernize the sound and bring us up to date. You can certainly recognize the band but at the same time you can hear that we've been paying attention and understand what kind of sounds and approaches we can use that maybe weren't around the last time we did this."

STAIND has released eight albums since 1995, including 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents.

STAIND and GODSMACK recently completed a 25-city co-headlining 2023 tour, produced by Live Nation.

In a recent interview with "Interviewing The Legends With Ray Shasho", Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend spoke about the fact that his music has made a lot of people happy and got some of them through a lot of hard times. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that musicians aren't necessarily responsible for songs. You're responsible for picking the songs out of the air. And that comes from a combination of circumstance and habits on some level as well. And so if people are affected by the music, then I'm grateful for the music, for being there rather than feeling like a sense of of pride on a personal level. I'm proud of the work that I do, 'cause it's a lot of work, but not the music necessarily. And the other thing is, where I have tended to sort of go over the past couple of years, with pandemic and everything, is, like, well, what's the fundamental value of what this is? How much of my connection to doing what I do is maybe got its talon in a need to be heard, a need to be seen or a need to be validated or a need for any of these things. And if so, fuck, it's a lot of effort if it's just because you're wanting attention, for example."

He continued: "So the place that I landed with that that has been helpful to me is, okay, well, don't think of it in the sense that the only reason you're writing music is just so you can be seen. If it helps other people by you sorting your own shit out in some or not, and then writing about it and then people relating to it in a way that maybe they're not capable of expressing in the same way, then that's a service that you're providing that I think is worth your time. Because what else are we gonna do in life? You've gotta do something, and so that seems like it's a worthy thing."

Devin added: "I think the expression of any creative avenue at this point is rooted in… I'm very thankful for the opportunity to do it, and that's where my inspiration seems to come from lately."

Two months ago, Devin, in conjunction with InsideOut Music, relaunched the "Devin Townsend Podcast", with a brand-new direction. The podcast is being made available as both audio and visual versions.

The 25th-anniversary edition of Devin's solo album "Infinity" was released on November 24. This newly remastered version of the album comes as a limited 2CD digipak, gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet and as a digital album, and includes all the bonus tracks from this era, as well as newly shot artwork and liner notes from Devin.

Devin released his most recent studio album, "Lightwork" in late 2022, with Metal Injection calling it a "superb addition to his one-of-a-kind catalog".

For "Lightwork", Devin decided to see what would happen if he included a producer (an experiment he has been excited to attempt for some time) to help guide this selection of material. He chose longtime friend Garth "GGGarth" Richardson to help bring this idea to fruition, and through a difficult (but wonderful) process, the next Devin album was delivered.

The name "Lightwork" represents the music, as well as the act of creating music, as a kind of "light in the dark" while trying to navigate the seemingly endless challenges that life can often present. When things seem like there's no way out or that a situation becomes seemingly insurmountable, the connection to music, family, and creativity became a light in the dark that ended up in this wonderful album.

In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about the band's performance at last fall's Power Trip festival the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The historic three-day event took place on October 6, October 7 and October 8 brought together six iconic bands that define loud and powerful music: GUNS N' ROSES and IRON MAIDEN (Friday, October 6),AC/DC and JUDAS PRIEST (Saturday, October 7) and METALLICA and TOOL (Sunday, October 8).

"The day, the event — the hundreds of thousands of people that were there," Halford said." It was just such a beautiful exchange. All of the guys from METALLICA were out in the front and they came to hang out with us after the show. There was all of this friendship and all of this camaraderie. All of the bands that performed at Power Trip, we all know each other and we've all lived very similar lives. It's like that family environment where you all connect. You look at each other and you know what you do, you know where you've been and you know the experiences you've had. Because all musicians have very, very similar life experiences. So it was great, you know?"

Asked if he, like METALLICA, got a similar chance to watch any of the other bands, Rob said: "I was in and out. I had so much stuff to do with the record. Because as you know, the calendar is always full. I wanted to try and be there for the three days. Obviously, METALLICA did. I was talking to James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] about it. [He said], 'Nah, we wouldn't have missed this for the world. We saw everybody.' I wish I would have had that opportunity. Just to emphasize that again — here's the biggest metal band in the world and they're out front [watching the groups as fans]. Air guitar and heavy metal horns in the air with all of the fans. They're the most amazing people in the business as far as keeping your feet on the ground. It's no more of the '80s thing, 'I'm not getting in the limo because it's two degrees too warm.' There's none of that! [Laughs] These guys are so real, beautiful and caring. That's what I love about them. There's this nurturing that they have, not only for each other, but for other bands that they're fans of. It's a very real thing for METALLICA."

Back in 2021, Halford picked METALLICA's "Ride The Lightning", as one of his "greatest songs of all time", telling Rolling Stone magazine: "Old 'TALLICA. New 'TALLICA. I'm old school, man. I bet you guys are the same about PRIEST. It's crazy, isn't it? It's usually the first two or three albums that you make in any given band that are the reference points to who you are and what you're about. And so, for me, those first batches of METALLICA, the extraordinary way that they interpreted their style of metal and branded it with such a unique force just generates as much now as it did then. So, 'TALLICA, ride the lightning on the heavy metal Harley."

In May 2013, Halford joined METALLICA on stage at the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods award show presented by Epiphone at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California to perform the PRIEST classic "Rapid Fire".

Halford previously performed "Rapid Fire" with METALLICA at one of the band's four intimate shows in December 2011 at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of METALLICA's 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

In 2019, METALLICA played a snippet of PRIEST's version of "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)" while rehearsing for its concert in Bucharest, Romania.

In 2020, Halford told Revolver magazine that METALLICA was the last concert he went to see as a fan before the pandemic hit. "I [saw them] play in Glendale, in Arizona," he said. "That was a blast. I've known those guys forever. I went with my other half, Thomas, and a good friend of ours who's a police lieutenant, James.

"It was great to see the band because if you, by the grace of God and good luck and fortune and hard work and slugging at it, you get to all these different levels, and METALLICA went about as far as you can, and still are at," he continued.

"Their shows are gigantic. If you've seen 'em — they're big production. And it must be a nightmare for them, like it is for us, to try and pick a setlist. But their setlist was a combination of the ones that we wanna hear, plus the new stuff that you do. It was a great show."

By Nick Balazs


Crash Midnight has released their new single "Strung Out On Sunset" - a song that’s brought down the house live in Las Vegas for the past two years, becoming an indelible staple of the band's set. Inspired by a hedonistic 48 hours singer, Shaun Soho, spent on the streets of Hollywood, "Strung Out On Sunset" paints a dark picture of life after the curtain falls. A raw introspective on the disillusionment grown from chasing ghosts, coming to the cold realization that the past is gone and the only way forward is to bury it all under your next step.







Talking about the story behind the song, Soho says, "The initial idea came from being stretched way too thin the morning after back-to-back nights partying in Hollywood and trying to get myself together as the sun was coming up. I remember finally going to get something to eat and being so literally strung out that I was just shaking and blinking in this hollow morning light as I was coming out of, I think ...Rock & Reilly's or something, maybe when they used to be open earlier?  Anyhow it was one of those spots right up the street from The Whisky and kind of like while I was trying to steady myself there on the sidewalk, the idea for this thing came to me."  


He goes on, "but it was really just a rough concept for a song title or direction, you know?  What's more interesting to me now is how the song has developed and taken on a much more self-reflective meaning as the band's established itself out here in Las Vegas. Coming from Boston, there was a bit of lionizing what we thought was that mecca for Rock out there on the Sunset Strip - hearing all the old stories and feeling like that's where all the action was.


“After moving out here and getting to see everything first hand, it's sad what that area has become. It's basically devolved into a tourist trap for 80's metal enthusiasts. The place is absolutely dead and there's just no coming back at this point.  Something that was so cool from like the 60's, 70's, 80's - it's depressing to see how irrelevant it's become.


“Then you combine that sort of sentiment with having now played with some of those acts from that era here in Vegas, and I mean some of them were really great and totally still have it - Tesla for example is awesome and they were great to us - but others that we opened for, it was like we knew what the venue was paying them, thousands of dollars, and we were the ones bringing all the fans.  Really disenchanting, you know?  Like some big names, and they can't draw anyone and we're out here at that time getting a tiny fraction of what they were getting paid in order for us to fill a room to make it look like they had a crowd.  


“That, to me, is what this song is about now - being strung along and sold on this mythos of some of these acts. These are guys you maybe looked up to when you were a kid and now seeing, not necessarily the bands themselves, but their management or booking agent try to feed you some bullshit about how amazing an opportunity it'll be to play a show with these guys while we do the heavy lifting on the draw. It's like, tell them to bring all the people if you're paying them that much. It honestly got exhausting being asked to try to make acts that haven't had a song on the radio in 3 or 4 decades look relevant by letting them headline in front of our crowd. So yeah, for me the song has become something of a vent on how over the propaganda of that scene we are - the bloom is thoroughly off the rose I guess you could say."





The singer also caught up with BraveWords’ Nick Balazs to talk more about the song and all things happening in the world of Crash Midnight.


BraveWords: The song certainly fits a different mood than your other tracks, but still rests in the Crash Midnight framework, how has the band evolved as songwriters in the past few years?


“It's funny, a lot of these songs - the "newer ones" - are actually pretty old.  Sunset was originally inspired like 8 or 9 years ago before we even made the move to Vegas. So I guess our sound has been evolving for a while, but maybe our recording schedule hasn't gone as fast as the writing.  It's cool though because that space has given us a lot more time to work with each song. We played Sunset live for like 2 or 3 years at least before we started tracking it. That's been a big part of our process, trying out these songs a bunch live and seeing what works and what doesn't. Moving out west has had a big impact on our songwriting and subject matter especially, but I think the process we've established with our co-producer, Tristan ‘Rock’ Hardin, over at the Hideout Recording Studio has been the key to taking our sound to another level. We're able to pretty much work like bands used to back in the day with year long lockouts, just because we have access to this top of the line studio right down the street and can sort of chip away at each song as we come up with ideas instead of being forced to cram a whole album recording into a week or long weekend recording session.”


BraveWords: This is your first song release of 2024 – how many more are planned for this year and when can fans expect the next one?


“Our plan is always to get four singles out each year, roughly once a quarter. We're not amazing at following plans though. There have been some external factors in that over 2020 and things like that - definitely threw some obstacles into the gameplan - but we're really shooting to keep it more or less on track going forward. We have two songs with the drums already tracked and we're finalizing a few things with the guitars before knocking those out. Then we have about five more songs ready to start installing into the live set, which is still the process we want to stick to so we can run these things through some paces live before we finalize everything. Shooting for four songs including Sunset in 2024, we'll see how we do.”





BraveWords: There has been much controversy around the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) and its use in making art and music. What is your stance on it?


“Man, I have no idea what's going to happen with that. Seems like playing with a lot of fire.  I saw some commercial with a fake AI Joe Rogan plugging a product.  That gets scary. As far as music goes, we'll see. I still think the one thing rock music in general has going for it, for those of us still emphasizing this, is the live show. You can't fake that, especially the spontaneity and raw moments. That's what our fans come out for each night.  Nothing is ever scripted with us so you won't get the same performance twice.”


BraveWords: Besides new music, what’s in the future plans for Crash Midnight – when can fans expect to see you play live?


“We're right in the middle of setting up an ongoing concert series with our friend Nathan Grates - who is one of the owners of The Sand Dollar Downtown in The Plaza Hotel & Casino - along with Brandon ‘Gooch’ Hahn from Vegas's KOMP 92.3 Active Rock station. It's going to be something special that will really bring the rock scene together here in Las Vegas.  Having KOMP getting front and center with these shows is going to be very cool. It puts the station right in the middle of the lifeblood of this rock scene and there's no better place to do it than at the amazing venue Nathan and company have set up in the Plaza. Top end sound and lighting, great 500 seater venue. That environment is perfect to become the new clubhouse for modern rock downtown. We're looking at setting up to play there multiple times a month while bringing in some of the best artists in the national Active Rock touring market. Keep an eye out for the first show announcements coming early this year.”


Keep up to date with CM at crashmidnight.com.

Will Carroll has revealed that he "tracked drums for a demo of a new DEATH ANGEL song" on Thursday, January 25. The longtime DEATH ANGEL drummer added in a post on his Facebook page: "I know a new DA album is long overdue but rest assured we are hard at work getting this new DA album written and completely demo'd."

"It felt good to get back to work with [DEATH ANGEL guitarist] Rob Cavestany," he continued. "It's a real challenge to not rehash the same ideas and beats from previous albums but I think so far things are sounding fresh and inspired."

Last July, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar told Vikram Chandrasekar about the band's songwriting process: "Well, when it comes down to writing, it's all Rob. It's all Rob. It starts with him. He comes up with a basic structure and him and Will get together and they hash it all out and they record it. And when they get it to a point where, 'Oh, yeah, this is great,' then they send it off to everyone else. And Damien [Sisson, bass] does his parts and Mark [Osegueda, vocals] will listen to it and try to write lyrics and melodies. And I'll listen to it and I'll touch base with Rob: 'What do you want me to do here? Do you want me to play something here? Or do you want me to do something different?' 'Cause Rob has a vision and you kind of wanna see his vision. And as soon as the song comes together to where we play it quite a few times, then we could throw in our ideas, like, 'Hey, maybe that part should be a little longer,' or, 'Maybe cut that out,' or Will will go, 'I wanna do something different here instead.' So, you know, Rob has a vision, we listen, we play along with it. Then if we feel like there needs to be changes, we express our concern, and Rob is really good at, 'Yeah, let's give it a try.' So we try everything. And it comes down to, 'All right, this is what works.' So it starts with Rob. And with regarding the lyrics, every now and then Rob will pick out a song: 'I wanna write lyrics for this song.' And Mark goes, 'Go ahead.' But Mark writes all the lyrics, and what he does is with the music, he'll listen to it over and over by himself. I don't know where he goes. He goes into the far corners of the earth by himself, with the headphones and music, and he'll come up with so many types of different melodies and stuff, and then come up with the ones he's happy with and lay it down on the demo form. Then when we get into the real studio, then things start to evolve 'cause we've played it so many times or we listened to it so many times that when we get in there, [we go], 'All right, let's try this.' It's always evolving to the point where it's handing it in to get mastered. Some songs stay kind of the same from what it was, but we just put more energy into it. Some songs have been rewritten quite a few times, so it differs. Rob's the songwriter, and on the last album I wrote one song. Yeah, it's how it is. And right now I'm writing some stuff, and how it goes is I'll write some stuff, I'll send it to Rob. I always tell him, 'If it's good, use it. If not, if you find parts are good, use it. If it's not good, it's okay, dude.' I'm just throwing some stuff out there, 'cause he knows what the DEATH ANGEL sound should be. And if he likes it, he'll use it. If he doesn't, my feelings are not broken."

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

Will can be heard on the last four DEATH ANGEL studio albums: "Relentless Retribution" (2010),"The Dream Calls for Blood" (2013),"The Evil Divide" (2016) and the aforementioned "Humanicide".

Ace Frehley played his first show of 2024 this past Thursday (January 25) at Grand Theatre in Frankfort, Kentucky.

The original KISS guitarist's 14-song setlist included the live debut of "10,000 Volts", the title track of his upcoming solo album.

According to Setlist.fm, Ace's setlist was as follows:

01. Shock Me (KISS song)
02. Rocket Ride (KISS song)
03. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
04. New York Groove (Russ Ballard cover)
05. Rock Soldiers (FREHLEY’S COMET song)
06. Deuce (KISS song)
07. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
08. 10,000 Volts
09. Love Gun (KISS song)
10. Parasite (KISS song)
11. Strange Ways (KISS song)
12. Cold Gin (KISS song)
13. Rip It Out
14. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)

Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

"10,000 Volts" will be released on February 23, 2024 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). The 11-track LP was produced by Ace and Steve Brown (TRIXTER).

In a recent interview with VRP Rocks, Ace praised "10,000 Volts", saying: "I'm very happy with the way the record turned out. Now, a lot of times I've recorded records where sometimes you look at three or four songs on the album and you consider them not as good as some of the other ones and you kind of consider them as filler. But I don't think there's any filler on this album. I think every song has merit to it."

He added:  "I think it's one of the best albums I ever did. I mean, I think it's probably as good as my solo album in 1978, which everybody seems to think is my best album to date. But I think this new album is equally as good as my 1978 solo album, and I think there's more than one hit single on the album. So, if I was a KISS fan or an Ace Frehley fan, I'd go out and buy it immediately when it's released on February 23rd, because you're in for a treat."

Ace released the single "10,000 Volts" on November 28. The track's music video — directed by Alex Kouvatsos from Black Wolf Imaging — has garnered more than 900,000 views on YouTube.

In October, Frehley told Jeff Napier of Nuvo about "10,000 Volts": "It's probably the best record I've ever done. I'm very excited about it. It's the fIrst time I ended up writing most of these songs with a good friend of mine, Steve Brown. He used to play in TRIXTER and has a group called RUBIX KUBE. Anyway, we live 40 minutes from each other, and my fiancée Lara hooked us up. I'd met him several times over the years, but just briefly, but she knew him when she was in her twenties, and she said, 'You've gotta get together with Steve.' He's a great songwriter and guitar player. He sent me a song, and there was one line that just jumped out from his chorus, and it was 'Walkin' On The Moon'. So I said, 'Listen, let's get together and rewrite this song, and the hook will be 'Walkin' On The Moon',' because it wasn't the end of the chorus he had prepared. So, we rewrote the song, and it came out great. We were actually gonna call the album 'Walkin' On The Moon' until we recorded a song called '10,000 Volts', which came out amazing. I got Anton Fig, my old drummer, who played on my original '78 solo album and most of my solo stuff, to play drums on that. So, working with Steve has made a huge difference in my playing and writing because when he and I put our heads together, it just clicks. If I'm at a loss for a chord or a verse or a line, he comes up with it and vice versa, and within three or four hours, we write a song.

"So that's how the record's been going," Ace added. "Then, once you record the basic track, you gotta do the overdubs and double and triple the vocals, harmonies, and stuff. He's an excellent engineer. So I didn't have to pay an engineer to engineer this record. So I saved money on that, working with Steve as well, which is nice."

Asked if making "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist, affected the way he put together the new record, Frehley said: "It's one thing doing an 'Origins' record because you don't have to write the songs. Basically, I was picking songs that influenced me that were written by other people. So it's a lot easier to do than when you do a regular studio record where all the songs are original. On this record, all the songs are original except for one. I did one cover of a song called 'Life Of A Stranger', written by a gal named Nadia. When she did the song, it was Europop, and it was very sparsely recorded. I listened to it and loved the melody, and I loved the lyrics. I played it for Steve, and he said, 'We could kill this song with heavy drums and power chords and stuff and keyboards even.' It came out great. All the other songs did as well. There's really not a weak song on the record. Most people do a record, and they concentrate on three or four songs that they think might be singles, and then the rest of it is a lot of filler. But every song on this album I can hear on the radio. I hope DJs agree with me."

Ace's next all-original album will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.

"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Gene's bass playing.

New Ace Frehley tour dates in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Illinois, and more have been announced for...

Posted by Ace Frehley on Sunday, January 7, 2024

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, the supergroup featuring legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL),will release its long-awaited fifth album in June.

The timetable for the arrival of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first LP in seven years was revealed by SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk, who shared on social media that he spent "some time" Friday afternoon (January 26) in Los Angeles filming an interview to promote the album. Trunk added in his post: "Had a chance to listen to them play today live and have heard the album. Killer 100% real live kick ass rock! Loved these guys since day 1."

During an appearance on an August 2023 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Hughes stated about the musical direction of the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION material: "It sounds like BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. There's not too many left turns, there's nothing happening that's weirdly different. We followed a vibe of the first four albums, so it it's an extension, but it's really a progression, if you can call it a progression. Everybody's playing out of their skin. The vibe in the camp has never been so friendly and fun. It's a really, really great vibe in the band. And we had a great time at Sunset Sound [studios] in Hollywood. And I can't wait for you to hear it."

As for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's touring plans, Glenn said: "If you go back 10 years when I wanted to… well, we all wanted to play more shows. And Joe has been very busy from the get-go of his career. What I want you to know, and I want everybody to know, that, of course, we want to play with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNITY, but Joe's schedule is crazy busy, and we all get it. Unfortunately, that's the way it is. So my priority is playing my own music with my own band and doing what I need to do to have fun on my own."

He continued: "Would I like to play some shows with Joe, Derek and Jason? Of course I would. I think everybody would like that. But what I can't do is say we're gonna do this, this, and that… I've done it before and it didn't happen, so I won't… I'm glad Joe has [said in a recent interview] he wants to do something like that, because I think we all wanna set some time out to do that, and we're hoping that we can play in North America [in 2024]."

Earlier that same month, Bonamassa told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION album: "The thing about BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, whether you like the way we sound or not, when we all get together, it has a very specific thing that it does. Everybody brings a very specific thing to the table, and it's a special band."

According to Joe, he brought the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members back together to make the follow-up to "BCCIV", which was released in September 2017 and marked BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first studio effort since 2013's "Afterglow". "I was the one that kind of initiated the text, be, like, 'Hey, is there anybody interested in doing a fifth one?'" he said. "And Derek got back to me. Jason got back to me pretty quickly. And Glenn called me and said, 'I can't do anything until this DEAD DAISIES situation goes one way or the next.' And I said, 'Fair enough.' So when Glenn left THE DEAD DAISIES [in 2022], that was kind of the green light for us to get back together."

Regarding the songwriting process for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's fifth album and how it compared to that on the band's previous efforts, Joe said: "This was the same. I went over to Glenn's house about six times and we hashed out some ideas — pretty rough, loose ideas. Nothing in stone. And so I had a playlist on my phone, voice memos, BCC 1 through 10. And that was it. So, so day one, we just [said], 'Okay, let's start with BCC 1.' And we sat in the courtyard at Sunset Sound — they have this really nice courtyard with a bunch of chairs — and we sat out there with an acoustic guitar and a couple of things and we just bashed out the arrangement. We were, like, 'Okay, that's cool.' We went in, played it three or four times and that was it. Nobody charted anything; we just kind of memorized it and did it. And we would go into the control room, listen a little bit, maybe tweak something, but once it fired up and after the second day, we really hit our stride, going, 'Okay, the band's back.' 'Cause we hadn't played together in six years."

As for the recording process for the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION disc, Joe said: "There's not a lot of overdubs. I rarely double the guitars, 'cause Glenn's bass sound is so big and distorted, you know what I mean? It's, like, why do I need to double the guitar? Same thing with Derek. It's almost like playing in the band FREE. All of the sound comes from the four of us. And Jason takes up a huge amount of bandwidth; he's such a big drummer."

Bonamassa went on to say that he is looking forward to performing with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION again. "I'd like to do some live shows with 'em [in 2024]," he said. "I think it would be really fun… Scheduling is the hardest thing, because of what everybody's got [coming up]… [My solo band is] booked almost two years out. But next year, I really wanna at least set aside a week, maybe two weeks, where we can go out and do selected shows, do a couple here in the U.S., go to Europe, do a couple there. 'Cause it is fun."

Last year it was announced that BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION will perform on the 2024 edition of Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea IX cruise, sailing from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on March 18-22.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's most recent performance took place in February 2018 at the fourth edition of the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea, which benefits the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa's non-profit organization dedicated to providing students, teachers, and musicians with the resources and tools needed to further their music education.

In a September 2022 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Bonamassa stated about what it is about a "band situation" that appeals to him, considering he has spent most of his career as a solo artist: "I like nothing more than to be a member of a band and playing guitar. I don't have to front it; I don't have to sing all the time. And it's a lot less pressure than being the front person. Being the person in front is a special skillset. You have to be an entertainer. You can't just sit up there and stare at your guitar and go, 'Wow. Look, I can play guitar pretty good.' That's not gonna fill the theater. You have to put on a show. And to put on a show requires being an entertainer. So being in a band, the sum of the parts is greater than the single entity. So this thing where Glenn co-fronts BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, I can just sit back and play rhythm guitar and watch him do his thing. He's a legend. And then conversely, Glenn doesn't have to sing all night; I'll sing three or four [songs]. So we kind of spread out the whole workload a little bit."

Just like its four predecessors, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's new album is being overseen by producer Kevin Shirley, who originally had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa in a band after seeing them jamming together onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when Hughes and Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting Bonham and Sherinian.

In a 2017 interview, Hughes talked about the chemistry between the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members, especially since all the musicians have had successful careers prior to launching the group.

"This band was meant to be," Glenn said. "It was formed out of a friendship with Joe and I. We got the [other] guys to come in, and it's always been a strong brotherhood. And we're just very lucky and fortunate to have met. I've known Jason since he was [a kid]. I just think that these four guys in this band are the right guys to play in the band."

Photo credit: Neil Zlozower

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Swedish metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY have completed recording their new album.

Earlier today (Friday, January 26),DARK TRANQUILLITY frontman Mikael Stanne shared a photo of him laying down vocals at Rogue Music, the studio owned and operated by DARK TRANQUILLITY keyboardist Martin Brändström in the heart of Gothenburg, Sweden. He wrote in an accompanying message: "Last line recorded! Damn, this feels so fantastic!

"It's been a long and incredibly rewarding writing and recording process that is now nearing its end. The songs have taken on a life of their own since the first barebones demos a year or so ago and we have truly poured our hearts and minds into this one. Now we ship it off to master @jensbogren for final mix and master.

"This year is looking very exciting indeed and we believe you will get a kick out of what we have put together for you. Cheers! @darktranquillityofficial #darktranquillity #nextalbum".

Last August, Stanne told JJ's One Girl Band that he hadn't yet come up with a possible lyrical concept for DARK TRANQUILLITY's next LP. He said: "We're working on the music right now, and I have some ideas. So far the lyrics I've written — it's not a theme. It deals with all the frustration, but I don't know if I can tie it all together or if it's gonna be very separate. Let's see. Normally that's something that kind of either I decide on that theme before the album and then the rest comes naturally. But so far I haven't really decided on one. But we still have some time, and it's gonna work out."

He continued: "It's fun to be in this process where we are right now, where we have all the songs but they need to be kind of finalized and shaped into exactly what we want 'em to be and figure out the emotional kind of impact it needs to have and how it needs to feel for us and how we want it to feel when you're listening to it. So that's where we are right now. And part of that, for me, is to kind of find that right kind of way in, so to speak, lyrically, find a way to kind of enhance what the song makes me feel."

DARK TRANQUILLITY's latest LP, "Moment", which was released in November 2020, was recorded at Nacksving Studios and Rogue Music by Martin Brändström and then mixed/mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.

In July 2023, guitarist Christopher Amott announced his departure from DARK TRANQUILLITY. He said in a statement that there was "no bad blood at all" between him and the other members of DARK TRANQUILLITY and explained that it was "time" for him to concentrate on some new music that he was "very proud of".

The 46-year-old Amott, who was a founding member of ARCH ENEMY, alongside his brother Michael Amott, officially joined DARK TRANQUILLITY in 2020 after previously being a member of the band's touring lineup since 2017.

A few hours later, DARK TRANQUILLITY issued the following statement regarding Amott's departure: "We are sad to announce that Chris Amott is leaving the band to pursue his own musical path. It has been an honor and a pleasure to play with him and we are parting amicably. To fill in for him in the near future we will have the awesome shredder Joey Concepcion joining us for the rest of the summer.

"Our mission stays the same - to explore this melancholy that neighbours to rage. A path forged by all members of DARK TRANQUILLITY - past and present. There may be some new faces on stage but in our extended family, much is the same. Niklas Sundin is still setting our visual tonality and Martin Henriksson is still our manager."

Three years ago, DARK TRANQUILLITY parted ways with drummer Anders Jivarp and bassist Anders Iwers.

Jivarp was an original member of DARK TRANQUILLITY, having played on all of the band's releases to date. Iwers joined DARK TRANQUILLITY in 2016 and played on the group's last two albums, 2016's "Atoma" and 2020's "Moment".

Jivarp and Iwers were replaced on DARK TRANQUILLITY's recent tours by Strandberg Nilsson (IN MOURNING, WOLVES WITHIN) and Christian Jansson (GRAND CADAVER, PAGANDOM),respectively.

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