GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash joined IGGY POP AND THE LOSERS onstage Thursday night (April 27) at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California to perform THE STOOGES' 1969 classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and a cover of the 1950s rock staple "Louie Louie". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Joining the legendary 76-year-old rocker Iggy Pop in the IGGY POP AND THE LOSERS lineup are Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and producer/songwriter Andrew Watt and Jamie Hince (THE KILLS) on guitar.

Iggy's latest album, "Every Loser", is his first to be released via the recently announced partnership between Atlantic Records and Gold Tooth Records, the new label founded by the album's Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum executive producer Andrew Watt. Watt previously worked with Ozzy Osbourne on the metal icon's last two studio albums, including 2022's "Patient Number 9".

"I'm the guy with no shirt who rocks; Andrew and Gold Tooth get that," Pop previously said about his new LP. "We made a record together the old-fashioned way… The players are guys I've known since they were kids and the music will beat the shit out of you."

For his part, Watt said: "Iggy Pop is a fucking icon. A true original. The guy invented the stage dive... I still can't believe he let me make a record with him. I am honored. It doesn't get cooler. This album was created to be played as loud as your stereo will go… turn it up and hold on."

Widely acknowledged as one of the most influential artists and dynamic live performers of all time, Pop is a singer, songwriter, musician, author, record producer, DJ and actor whose epic body of work has earned him both worldwide critical acclaim and fanatic cult success. Beginning in 1967 with his era-defining group THE STOOGES, Pop merged primal rock, blues, and free jazz into something altogether dangerous and new, paving the way for punk, post-punk, hard rock, and grunge. His landmark solo career — which kicked off with 1977's David Bowie-produced "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life" — has seen Pop traverse a stunning span of musical genres, inspiring generation after generation of rock 'n rollers with his iconoclastic songcraft, uncompromising performance style, and one-of-a-kind charisma. Perhaps the greatest living embodiment of rock and roll, Pop has never slowed down, pushing the art form forward for more than half a century, including his 2019's contemplative, critically acclaimed "Free".

During an appearance on this past Wednesday's (April 26) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Wendy Dio was asked if "Dio: Dreamers Never Die", the first-ever career-spanning documentary on the life and times of legendary metal icon Ronnie James Dio, will get a DVD and Blu-Ray release in the near future. Ronnie's widow and longtime manager responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, yes, absolutely. That's in the works. In fact, I was just singing off on the credits today. And that will be out on Mercury through Universal in September. It comes out on Blu-ray and on DVD, and there's so much bonus stuff on it too; there's a whole bunch of bonus stuff that never made it to the film that will be in there. So I'm excited about that. Of course it's still on Showtime, but a lot of the people in Europe and stuff didn't get it at all unless they saw it when it was in theaters. So now it will go worldwide."

Elaborating on the bonus footage that will be available with the DVD and Blu-ray, Wendy said: "The thing was there was so much material that we had, it would have been a five-hour movie. So a lot of the stuff, unfortunately, had to [be] cut out. But there's different stories — Simon [Wright, former DIO drummer] talking about Ronnie, there's some Jack Black content, there's some content about me saying some different things. There's some content with Wyn Davis, who was Ronnie's engineer that's revealing different things about stuff. There's lots of interesting stuff that was in there, but we had to cut a lot of stuff out because it just would have been way too long. But now they're getting to have the bonus stuff, extra stuff that would have been included if we had time."

Speaking about the response to "Dio: Dreamers Never Die", Wendy said: "I went to the premiere in London, and Tony Iommi [BLACK SABBATH] was there and a bunch of other guests were there, lots of other musicians. And around the world everybody can't wait, because they only saw it in theaters for two days, and then it was gone. And so now they've all been waiting with bated breath for the DVD to come out. So everybody's very, very excited about it. We got 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes [the online review aggregation service that allows both critics and the public to rate movies], which is unheard of."

Wendy went on to say that making "Dio: Dreamers Never Die" was "a bittersweet journey, but I wanted the fans to see certain things that even the diehard fans didn't know about Ronnie, which were in there — the accident [1968 car crash that killed guitarist Nick Pantas], the doo-wop days — things that even the really, really hardcore fans didn't know about certain things that we wanted to put in there," she explained. "It's a journey through life, and, as I said, it's a bittersweet journey, but I think Ronnie would be happy and proud of it… I'm very, very happy with it."

"Dio: Dreamers Never Die" had its television premiere last December on Showtime. It is also available to stream via the Showtime app.

Executive-produced by Wendy and fully authorized by the artist's estate, "Dio: Dreamers Never Die" delves deep into the singer's incredible rise from a '50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in ELF and Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH, and finally cementing his rock star status with his own band, DIO. The film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos, as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of rock and roll's true heroes and one of the most beloved figures in rock.

Asked in an interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about her previous comment that her mission in life now is to carry on Ronnie's legacy, Wendy said: "I just think that Ronnie was always overlooked during the time that he was alive. And after his passing, I just felt that his music was something that he wrote for the fans, he performed for the fans. He loved his fans and that should continue on and carry on. That's one of the reasons why we did the documentary, was so that people could understand him, understand his life and where he came from and the trials and tribulations he had. He wasn't an overnight success. He paid his dues, for sure. And also to get his message out there. Ronnie's message was always, like, follow your heart, follow your dreams [and] don't give up."

Wendy also talked about her first reaction to seeing "Dio: Dreamers Never Die", saying: "When they put the film together and we had a private screening for me, it was my first chance to see all the little bits put together, and it was very bittersweet. I broke down and cried. And it was just exactly how I wanted Ronnie to be portrayed. They had done such a magnificent job. And that was just really, really — after all the hard work we all put into it, it was, like, 'Woah.' I think the fans are absolutely gonna love it."

Ronnie James Dio, who died of gastric cancer in 2010, reigns as one of the most influential rock artists of all time and one of the greatest vocalists ever. With an illustrious recording career spanning from the 1950's through to the 2000s, the documentary follows his trajectory from sideman into singer, songwriter and frontman of not one, but three of rock's internationally renowned, multi-platinum-selling arena attractions: RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO. Famous for popularizing the 'devil horns' hand gesture that is now synonymous with hard rock and heavy metal music, Dio was known for not wavering in his pursuit of his rock and roll dreams and continues to influence a new generation of music artists. His fans the world over remember him not only for his massive talent, but for his kindness, resulting in millions of dollars raised for cancer research in his memory.

"Dio: Dreamers Never Die" was financed solely by BMG and was directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton ("Framing John DeLorean", "Believer", "Last Days Here"),produced by Don Argott and Sheena Joyce for 9.14 Pictures, and executive-produced by Wendy Dio for Niji Productions and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG.

Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with BLACK SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Dio's autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", was released in July 2021 via Permuted Press.

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THE HALO EFFECT, the project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass),Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — will release a new single, "Path Of Fierce Resistance", on May 19. THE HALO EFFECT has also released ab official band documentary about the making of the group's debut album, "Days Of The Lost", which came out in August 2022 via Nuclear Blast.

Next month, THE HALO EFFECT will embark on an eight-date North American tour leading up the band's appearance at this year's Milwaukee Metal Fest. Support on the trek will come from UNEARTH and HIGH COMMAND.

THE HALO EFFECT debuted two brand new songs, "Become Surrender" and "The Defiant One", during its recently completed three-date Swedish tour.

THE HALO EFFECT recently entered the studio to record a new LP. The upcoming effort will be the follow-up to "Days Of The Lost", which entered the official chart in Sweden last summer at position No. 1. This was believed to be the first time a debut LP from a metal act had ever topped the chart in Sweden in its first week of release. "Days Of The Lost" also landed at No. 6 in Germany.

Asked in a recent interview with Tomar Uma if THE HALO EFFECT is a "band" or just a "project", Mikael said: "It is definitely a new band. It started out as a project or an idea, but because of the time we had, I think we made it into a proper band and we wanna treat it as such because we want to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to make this as good as it possibly can be. We wanna do some tours; we wanna do cool festivals. And we're already starting to plan for more recordings and the next album and that kind of stuff. So everybody's just excited. And because it felt good and we were on a roll… You really can't hold Niclas and Jesper back once they get started. So they've already started writing new stuff. Let's keep up. It's gonna be a lot of work [laughs] the next couple of years, that's for sure."

Stanne was also asked if "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2002 and featured Jesper, Peter and Daniel, was an influence on the way THE HALO EFFECT approached the songwriting process. He responded: "I don't think so. I love that album — I think it's fantastic — but no, I don't think so. But, obviously, the other guys were a big part of it, so maybe that's something… They had that experience, so that will color and will somehow affect them. But I don't think it ever came up, so I don't think that was a particular influence. But, of course, everything is a part of what you do, right?!"

In June, Iwers was asked in an interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast if he would agree that "Days Of The Lost" is, in some ways, a "spiritual successor" to "Reroute To Remain". Peter said: "Ooh, interesting. I haven't really thought about it. When you make music, like we do, you tend not to overthink stuff — you just go in and you write music and kind of know that what comes out will sound a certain way because of the style that we are playing and how we are playing and performing our music. So I haven't really thought about it, but maybe — maybe. It was definitely nothing intentional. We just went in. We had a bunch of ideas and we came out with a bunch of songs that happen to sound a certain way. But none of us really overthought it and it was never meant to 'it's gonna sound like this' or 'it's gonna sound like that.' We just [went], 'Let's write this music and see what happens.' And because of, like I said, how we're playing, it will sound a certain way."

Added Daniel: "A lot of people like to analyze music, and, of course, it sounds Gothenburg metal-ish because we all are from that genre and we are some of the people that kind of created it. So, of course, it will sound Gothenburg metal-ish, IN FLAMES-ish. And then which era, I don't know. And as Peter said, we don't really think about how it should sound. This is how we sound today, and with our legacy this is inevitable, that we sound as we do."

Continued Peter: "Obviously, people like to do a lot of comparing between us… It's a difficult topic to discuss because none of us have — even though we've all been in IN FLAMES at some point, none of us have really thought about this as what you're saying. But then a lot of people that we speak to say it. So it's a little hard to take in, as we've been very thorough in just writing music. But I'd say it's a little flattering to hear it."

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Strömblad's THE HALO EFFECT bandmates have been supportive in his ongoing battle with the bottle, going so far as to hire THE HAUNTED's Patrik Jensen to fill in for him at any gigs he is unable to play.

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past four years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows and in the recording studio since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

ANTHRAX's Scott Ian (guitar),Charlie Benante (drums) and Frank Bello (bass) have been in the studio with producer Jay Ruston, laying down basic tracks in preparation for singer Joey Belladonna to record his vocals and for lead guitarist Jonathan Donais to add his leads and solos. No title nor release date at this time, but this will be the band's long-awaited first new album since 2016's internationally critically acclaimed "For All Kings".

A month ago, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules if his packed 2023 touring schedule with PANTERA will delay the release of ANTHRAX's new LP. He responded: "We're actually going in two weeks to start recording the record. But it probably wouldn't come out till '24 anyway. But the good part about it is we are going in to start recording it. So that's awesome."

Elaborating on why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP, Charlie said: "If we didn't get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were [written] before the pandemic hit, they're old to me. So now there's a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that's a good thing. You can never have enough… We're still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those."

This past January, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian told Metal Edge that he and his bandmates had "11 musical arrangements", as well as "some" lyrics, that they were working on for their next album. "Obviously, I'm going to be working on more words and we're getting there," he said. "I'm hoping at some point we'll be able to get into the studio [this year] and record them."

Benante also loudly wondered if ANTHRAX could focus on releasing EPs in the foreseeable future as opposed to full-length albums, as has been the case for much of the band's four-plus-decade career.

"What if it wasn't a full album?" the drummer asked. "If we released six songs and then we released another six songs. I know from a record company's point of view that really doesn't work, but in these days…"

"Yeah. It's all so different now," Ian said, jumping in. "SLIPKNOT's saying now why even make full albums anymore. I get it. I get all sides of it. I still love a full album, but at the same time I totally understand the idea of what's the point of giving someone 11 songs. Most people don't listen to albums anymore. So, yeah — why not parse it out? I don't know. All I know is at some point in the next few months we'll probably have 14 or 15 things and then we'll have to decide when we're going to record it and how we're going to release it."

"Think about it," Benante continued. "If ANTHRAX released five songs and you have these five songs, and you absorb it in such a different way nowadays, too. I think that may be the way to go, rather than give everybody 11 songs and it's like, 'Oh — I only had a chance to listen to the first four or five.' I don't know. I just think maybe the business model is different."

"And even for us, playing songs live it's like, you put out a record with 10 or 11 songs on it with the idea that, 'Oh man, I can't wait to play this one live and I can't wait to play this one live,'" Ian added. "On 'For All Kings', we definitely didn't play all of those songs at any point. I think there's maybe six songs on the record that got played – and that's it. I almost feel like you're wasting them. I understand album tracks, but if you put out just five songs it would be easy to play all five of those on a new tour."

"And easier to digest, too," Benante agreed. "You would appreciate it more if it was just five songs and, 'These five songs are fuckin' killer. I can't wait for the next five songs,' knowing that we will release another five or six."

Earlier in January, Benante told Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 that ANTHRAX was planning to enter the studio sometime this spring to begin recording the new LP.

"Between the PANTERA [tour dates in 2023], we're gonna be working on this record, this ANTHRAX record," he said. "We're hoping to have it finished before PANTERA go to Europe [in late May]. I have a little window after that, before [PANTERA's stadium tour with] METALLICA starts. At least if I get my drum tracks done, then the other guys can continue to work on it. That's the plan. Unless something else happens, but hopefully nothing will happen."

Last November, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM that the band is "not in a rush" to record the new album. "We wanna make sure it's the right record," he explained. "We can't just throw out something that's not ready. So we're gonna really make sure it's the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we've been working on. Everybody can say that when they're working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I'm pretty proud of what we've come up with so far."

In August, Ian praised the production quality on some of the band's recent albums, including 2011's "Worship Music" and "For All Kings". He said: [On] 'Worship [Music]' and 'For All Kings', for me, we've really kind of found our sound. We've got this base level where we're at right now with [producer] Jay Ruston where we know it's gonna be great, and then we could push it even further. Especially with the songwriting that we have right now, going into what will eventually be a new ANTHRAX album, it just lends itself to even a more aggressive production which I think we will have no problem accomplishing."

In April 2022, Scott confirmed to Metal Injection that ANTHRAX had a few songs already written for the upcoming LP. "All I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready," he said. "I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY recently completed a 24-date tour, making stops in all new markets, with both bands playing headline sets. Joining ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY as special guest on this run was EXODUS.

Clockwise from left to right in photo above: Charlie Benante, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Jay Ruston

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

West Coast metal veterans METAL CHURCH will release their 13th studio album, "Congregation Of Annihilation", on May 26 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The new album marks the first release since the tragic death of legendary frontman Mike Howe who passed in July of 2021. It also marks the first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes (ROSS THE BOSS, LET US PREY) who came on board in the summer of 2022, and features the current lineup of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland. The new songs are a return to the band's musical roots harkening back to the vibes of the self-titled first album and "The Dark". "Congregation Of Annihilation" was produced by Vanderhoof and is now available for pre-order in various bundle configurations.

Vanderhoof comments: "This new album is starting a new chapter in the METAL CHURCH legacy. I really love this album. It's a fresh approach for us in one way, but also a return to the very beginnings of METAL CHURCH as part of the New American Thrash Metal movement. This record contains some of the most aggressive songs we have recorded. I hope the fans will like it as much as we do."

Lopes adds: "I am beyond honored to be part of carrying on this legacy into a new era of METAL CHURCH. Working with Kurdt and a band that was a huge influence of mine growing up was a surreal experience, to say the least. For me there was no point in trying to imitate what was already done to perfection. So, with respect to the past, we moved forward to a new chapter and here we are!"

"Congregation Of Annihilation" features nine all new tracks from METAL CHURCH and continues to build upon their iconic sound the band established over three decades ago. Infused with intelligent lyrical content, thundering guitar riffs, and Marc's aggressive soaring vocals, "Congregation Of Annihilation" furthers the bands sonic evolution up to the next level and is guaranteed to enthrall metal music fans around the world. From the first guitar riff of album opener "Another Judgement Day" through the driving outro of album closer "All That We Destroy", it is clear METAL CHURCH is back and better than ever. "Congregation Of Annihilation", "Children Of The Lie" and "These Violent Thrills" showcase the sonically charged songwriting that made the early METAL CHURCH albums such fan favorites. Haunting musical opuses "Me The Nothing" and "Making Monsters" each puts the musicianship that METAL CHURCH was known for on full display in 2023. The album also features two bonus tracks: "My Favorite Sin" and "Salvation".

The LP's second single, "Making Monsters", can be streamed below.

About "Making Monsters", Vanderhoof comments: "Keeping with the METAL CHURCH tradition of combining the heavy and aggressive sound of thrash metal while injecting a good dose of melody and hooks, 'Making Monsters' is a track that showcases what we have done for over 30 years. It has the comfort of old school METAL CHURCH while showcasing how our signature sound has evolved. The band is firing on all cylinders."

Lopes adds: "Just a dark, creepy, heavy-ass driving tune that is lyrically based from the book 'Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power Of Dehumanization' by David Livingstone Smith — a truly terrifying read. It's based on actual real-life research. The dehumanizing of others that transforms them into something so terrifying that they must be destroyed. Deep, philosophical and psychological stuff here, just another day in my train of thought."

"Congregation Of Annihilation" track listing:

01. Another Judgement Day
02. Congregation Of Annihilation
03. Pick A God And Prey
04. Children Of The Lie
05. Me The Nothing
06. Making Monsters
07. Say A Prayer With 7 Bullets
08. These Violent Thrills
09. All That We Destroy
10. My Favorite Sin (bonus track)
11. Salvation (bonus track)

In a recent interview with Chris Akin Presents, Lopes spoke about the inevitable barrage of criticism that he will receive as a result of stepping into the role previously occupied by Howe, David Wayne and Ronny Munroe. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Being in ROSS THE BOSS [the band led by former MANOWAR guitarist Ross 'The Boss' Friedman], I have faced so much stupid bullshit from fans, from MANOWAR fans. At the beginning, it bothered me, years back. Now I can give two shits; I don't fucking care. Because, you know what? If you fucking start worrying about what other people think, you'll never get anywhere. And the way I look at it is, it's, like, look, if you like it, great. If you don't, then fucking go somewhere else. I don't really give a shit. I know that I'm giving it everything that I have to do it and make it sound as best as possible. And if you don't like it, why am I gonna sit here and try to fucking satisfy you? I don't fucking care. I mean, obviously, if everybody fucking hates it, then probably I shouldn't do the gig. But with much respect to the METAL CHURCH community, they've been amazing; they love this new stuff.

"I've gotta be honest — the anticipation is insane, and it's making me more… I'm definitely nervous," Marc admitted. "But at the same time, I'm, like, look, I've gotta go out and do my thing. And the reason that I was put in charge of doing this new era of the band was because I am putting my own spin on it. Am I gonna sound like David Wayne? Maybe in some aspects. Am I gonna sound like Mike Howe? Maybe in some aspects. Am I gonna sound like Marc Lopes? Abso-fucking-lutely. And that's really what it comes down to.

"If this is my era of the band, then I have to do what I do best. Trying to imitate it isn't gonna do anybody any good. And the funny thing is, Ronny Munroe is amazing — he's a great vocalist — and he sounded more like David Wayne than me.

"I've gotta be honest: at first, I was, like, 'Fuck, man. How am I gonna do this?' [Then I was, like], 'Wait a minute. You're already approaching it wrong.' Kurdt would always be, like, 'You're already approaching it wrong.'

"Those guys are not imitatable because they are who they are… And Ronny has his own style too, and the stuff that he did was great. It just was a weird era for the band, I think, in the totality part of it…

"I already know there are gonna be the haters," Marc added. "And I don't care. And for those people — if you wanna waste your time with that kind of shit, then go for it. There's way more things to spend time on in life than being out there going, 'I hate this.' It's kind of ridiculous.

"The biggest joke is I'm a huge IRON MAIDEN fan and I never liked the Blaze Bayley era. And we always used to joke about it. I was, like, I'm a huge MAIDEN fan. Do I spend my time going, 'Oh my God. I hate that. And I hate this.' It's, like, why? I don't listen to it. [Laughs] Not everybody's gonna like everything you do. It's just the way it is."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

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

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

Left to right in photo: Stet Howland (drums),Steve Unger (bass),Marc Lopes (vocals),Rick Van Zandt (guitars),Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitars)

Photo credit: Rat Pak Records

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo was recently interviewed by host Mitch Joel of the "Groove - The No Treble Podcast". You can now listen to the chat below.

Speaking about how his relationship with his bandmates has evolved in the 20 years since he joined METALLICA, Robert said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "METALLICA is a family. I inherited a family. I inherited new brothers. As most people know, or I hope they know, when you join a band, especially a band like this, you have a responsibility. In most bands, I think it's common knowledge.'

He continued: "It's one thing to be able to play — of course you've gotta play; you've gotta play your instrument, and they've gotta have confidence in you, and you've gotta perform. So there's all that. But at the same time, as a family member, you've gotta be able to cater to the personalities. And everybody in METALLICA is very, very different; we are definitely not the same. So there's a lot of communication involved in how we work things out and resolve certain things. And sometimes you find yourself — just like you would with your brother — completely pissed off, and you have to navigate the terrain of the personalities, like I would do with my own family, and at the same time what's really important is support. You've gotta know when one of your brothers is down and how to help him. So there's all of that that goes into what it is to be in a band like METALLICA.'

Trujillo added: "It's one thing how we play individually or how we write with other people… Like myself, coming into it later in the game and having been a writer in my other situations, being a main writer, and all of sudden joining METALLICA and not being a main writer but understanding that, okay, I'm here to support as a bass player, I'm here to support James's [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] idea, or now it's time to create, it's time to write, to be able to understand how to wear that hat. Because it's not about the ego; it's about how you serve the team. And even beyond just the music and the personalities and how you work with each other, there's also the responsibility to the amount of press and the travel involved in that alone. And, obviously, it can be challenging to be on the road all the time, away from your family… It's a lot of everything.

"Being in METALLICA and also growing as a unit creatively has been incredible, because I really believe this. I feel that we've challenged ourselves over the years. We made an album with Lou Reed; obviously, 'S&M²' was really special. Just creative journeys that this band takes and then you grow from all of this and get better."

Trujillo, who was born on October 23, 1964 in Santa Monica, California, tasted success as the bassist in punk-funk pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and Ozzy Osbourne's band. But in 2003, he successfully auditioned to replace Jason Newsted in METALLICA, a process chronicled in the warts-and-all documentary "Some Kind of Monster".

METALLICA's new album, "72 Seasons", will be released April 14 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

METALLICA and Trafalgar Releasing will hold a worldwide "72 Seasons" listening party. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, "72 Seasons" will be played in full in surround sound, exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide — with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band.

The "72 Seasons" global premiere sees METALLICA and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of "S&M²", which documented METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original "S&M" (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

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

Former RAINBOW singer Joe Lynn Turner has once defended his comments about Ritchie Blackmore's decision to go out and play the band's classic material with a new group of musicians, saying Ritchie "wasn't playing well" and "there was no fire" in RAINBOW's performances.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT for the first time in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

The current incarnation of RAINBOW includes singer Ronnie Romero, originally from Chile but now settled in Romania after living in Madrid, Spain for a number of years, as well as STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT),and backing singers Candice Night [Ritchie's wife) and Lady Lynn.

Asked in a new interview with Rolling Stone why he wasn't part of RAINBOW's latest reunion, Turner — who fronted RAINBOW from 1980 until 1984 and was a member of PURPLE from 1989 until 1992 — said: "I'll give you the short version of this. Months and months before, a friend of mine, Barry Summers, who did the GUNS N' ROSES 3D movie ['Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live At The Hard Rock Casino'] and all that stuff … He wanted to do the same thing with this RAINBOW reunion. I was getting phone calls from Carole [Stevens], Ritchie's manager. That's Candy's[Night] mother. What happened is that she convinced Ritchie I wanted half of everything, and I wanted all this and millions of dollars. I spoke to Rick Franks at Live Nation. He was the main guy back then. We had a conference call without four or five other agents. I was on the call with the agents first. All of a sudden, I heard, 'Hello, this is Rick Franks.' And then silence. It was like the king walked in. I didn't know who he was. He said, 'Joe, if you can get the nod from Blackmore, I'll put you out 164 dates a year. I'll get you the best slots on the festivals. I'll make you ‘special guest.' You name it. Blah blah blah. Because your idea of an extravaganza reunion is just perfect.'

"I wanted that reunion. I wanted a real reunion," Turner continued. "I wanted to call in [Nineties singer] Doogie White. I wanted to call in Graham Bonnet. Had [Ronnie James] Dio been alive, I would have called him in. I wanted all the ex-members to play a good two- or two-and-a-half-hour show. There's a lot of people, including my wife, who is half my age, have never seen us live. They love the records, but they never saw us live. I wanted to put something together like this. I had the go from Barry. I had the go from Rick. I was trying to convince Carole, but she's a control freak. Anyone will tell you that. And I heard from a very reliable source, an insider, a producer, exactly what she was telling him. She was telling him a bunch of lies. I got offered a wage. I went, 'A wage?' I told that to [bassist] Bob Daisley. I wanted to bring him in. He's a good friend of mine. Daisley went, 'I won't work for a wage.' I go, 'No. How could we work for a wage? We need a little percentage of this thing. Throw us a bone.'

"With that, she just nixed the whole thing," Joe added. "Candy apparently found this singer [Ronnie Romero] on YouTube, sold Ritchie on the ideas, and paid him peanuts. There was your replacement singer. Never wrote a song. And they called it RAINBOW. That's not fuckin' RAINBOW. That was a money grab. He would have made more money doing what I wanted with this production than he's ever made with her… He had BLACKMORE'S NIGHT as his band. I saw videos. There was no fire. There was nothing there. It was flat. It was pointless. He wasn't even playing well. And I came out in the press and accused him of destroying the legacy, which is true. I speak my mind."

Last September, after Turner called the latest RAINBOW lineup "a cheap" and "weak imitation" and referred to RAINBOW's post-2016 live performances as "a trainwreck", Romero took to his Instagram to share a concert photo of the most recent RAINBOW incarnation, and he included the following message: "There is so much power in our words when we are a 'public person', that we must be careful with what we say…

"I don't know and I don't care what's between The Main Man and some old ex members of the band, what happened or whatever. I'm just a normal guy who one day received the call from one of His idols to sing in the band He always dreamed of to sing… that's it. I'm pretty convinced I did my job well, (same for Jens, Bob and David, wonderful musicians) as all the feedback, appreciation and love I'm still getting in every place I go.

"I know as well you cannot be liked by everybody, but I will not tolerate to somebody to call my work 'cheap'… No Sir.

"Maybe for some guy is time to move on, as He did with other issues in His life, and to be careful to not to despise honest people who is here just working hard, as He does. At the end is all about Music, that's the only thing that counts and matter".

In response to Romero's post, Turner released a statement via his social media in which he said: "RAINBOW was an Iconic band. All the incarnations throughout the years were unique and exceptional, with one common thread that was running through it all - the highest standards of excellence, integrity and quality that Mr. Blackmore demanded from everyone and especially Himself. I learnt the most valuable lessons that I've carried forth in my own carrier and I will always be grateful to Ritchie for that. Mr. Blackmore set the bar very high for the level of creativity and performance for the whole Industry to follow, aspire and protect. He is a true Professional and Perfectionist.

"I've put blood, sweat and tears into my tenure with RAINBOW... And my opinion of the last 'incarnation' of RAINBOW is well deserved and has never changed. With or Without my personal participation, I believe that this 'reunion' could have and should have been treated with more concern and respect to the Iconic standards that Mr. Blackmore himself had established.

"A Legacy is historically about the significant achievements and accomplishments that should be preserved and treasured. For example, the re-release/re-recording of one of the biggest RAINBOW classics 'I Surrender' was a heartbreaking disappointment... And I think the reasons are more than apparent and obvious for everyone who's heard it...

"My recent interview statement never referenced any individual in particular, that was never my intention. And anyone who feels singled out is either paranoid and insecure about their own self-worth. As most of you have noticed recently, I have totally moved on and I am in the exact place and time that I want to be.

"So, I offer an important advice to those who are personally concerned with this issue - Try moving on yourself out of the shadows of those who perpetrated the originality and creativity necessary to achieve such status.

"Simply put, I believe the RAINBOW legacy deserved much better treatment and respect than it received and so did many loyal, supportive and dedicated fans who wished to see RAINBOW shine with it's brightest colors.

"This will be the last time I address this situation, as it is old, tired and completely irrelevant, being simply a product of the 'yellow press' looking for any dirt they can dig up or shine a spotlight on themselves for personal gain..."

Three years ago, Turner blasted RAINBOW's latest lineup in an interview with the "80's Glam Metalcast", saying "the RAINBOW [Ritchie] put together is nostalgic, but it is not RAINBOW. They never did an album, and all they do is these spot dates. And anybody who goes to see them, it's all over YouTube. And that's really all I've gotta say about it. If you ask me, he's cheating the public. And that wasn't my intention. So happily I go along. Ritchie is allowed to do whatever he wants to do, and so I am. And I don't need the hassle. So it's great."

According to Joe, had his idea for a RAINBOW reunion come to fruition, "it would have been unbelievable. And even people who haven't seen RAINBOW before — there's a lot of 'em that love the music and grew up on it — are still coming out and seeing RAINBOW, no matter what configuration he put together," he said. "If you look at 'Live Between The Eyes' or any of our live stuff compared to the stuff he's got on YouTube with this particular aggregation, there's no comparison. None. Our band rocked."

Joe sang on the RAINBOW album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

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

Joe Lynn Turner photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya

KISS performed at Monsters Of Rock 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 22nd at Allianz Parque. Fan-filmed video of their entire show is available below. 


The setlist was as follows:


"Detroit Rock City"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Deuce"
"War Machine"
"Heaven's on Fire"
"I Love It Loud"
"Say Yeah"
"Cold Gin"
- guitar solo -
"Lick It Up"
"Makin' Love"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Psycho Circus"
- drum solo -
"100,000 Years" (partial)
- bass solo -
"God of Thunder"
"Love Gun" (Paul on Stage B)
"I Was Made for Lovin' You" (Paul on Stage B)
"Black Diamond"
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me"
"Rock and Roll All Nite"







KISS has announced the addition of four new dates on their final tour, The End Of The Road Tour.


Produced by Live Nation, these final runs of shows will kick off this October and now include stops in Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis and Ft. Worth before wrapping up with a massive show in the city where it all began for KISS. New York City has been a part of the band’s ethos and storyline for more than four decades, so they felt it fitting to culminate an iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame worthy career on stage at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.


Tickets will be available starting Monday, April 3, with a KISS Army pre-sale at 10 AM, local time. Additional pre-sales will be available throughout the week before the general on sale starting on Friday, April 7 at 10 AM, local time at livenation.com.



North American tour dates:


October
20 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena (New Date)
23 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena (New Date)
25 - St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center (New Date)
27 - Ft. Worth, TX - Dickies Arena (New Date)
29 - Austin, TX - Moody Center


November
1 - Palm Springs, CA - Acrisure Arena
3 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
6 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
8 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
10 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
12 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
13 - Saskatoon, SK - SaskTel Centre
15 - Winnipeg, MB - Canada Life Centre
18 - Montreal, QC - Centre Bell
19 - Quebec, QC - Videotron Centre
21 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre
22 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
24 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena
25 - Indianapolis. IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
27 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
29 - Baltimore, MD - CFG Bank Arena


December
1 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
2 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

In a new interview with Japanese music critic and radio personality Masa Ito of TVK's "Rock City", Lars Ulrich spoke about METALLICA's enduring appreciation for New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) — the monumental British metal and European metal movement from 1979 through 1982 — and how it continues to influence METALLICA's music to this day.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is] a big part of the reason that METALLICA exists and it's a big part of the reason that, obviously, we're still sitting here.

"My playlists in my iPhone and the playlists in my car and the music that I listen to… Yesterday — I kid you not — I was listening to DEF LEPPARD's 'Good Morning Freedom', I was listening to HOLLOW GROUND, the single by this band HOLLOW GROUND, one of the lesser-known bands of British heavy metal, on one of my playlists in my car as I was driving to take my son to and from school and to his sports practices.

"New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is a big part of me, it's a big part of METALLICA," Lars continued. "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is for us in METALLICA a gift that keeps on giving. And it's something that we circle and have circled in and out of forever.

"I know there's a lot of people that connect [METALLICA's recent single] 'Lux Æterna' to the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. And I can tell you and look everybody in the eye and go, that wasn't necessarily the battle cry. When we sat down, we didn't say, 'Let's write a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal type of song.' But, obviously, I can hear those connections in the song when I disconnect myself from the recording and the writing process. And, like I said, I'm always proud to fly the flag for New Wave Of British Heavy Metal at any level that I can."

A self-proclaimed NWOBHM fanatic, Ulrich spent much of his time in the early 1980s tracking down obscure recordings from his favorite groups of the era. Ten years after the NWOBHM's glory days of 1982, Ulrich took time out to put together a multi-band compilation, "'79 Revisited: New Wave Of British Heavy Metal", along with journalist Geoff Barton, whose work in the now-defunct weekly U.K. rock paper Sounds had kept Ulrich posted while he was in the States.

At METALLICA's first-ever concert, which took place on March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, California, Ulrich, James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney ran through a nine-song set, including no less than seven NWOBHM covers: four tracks by DIAMOND HEAD and one each from BLITZKRIEG, SWEET SAVAGE and SAVAGE.

Back in 2010, Lars was asked by Australia's long-running rock station Triple M about the band that was responsible for inspiring him to launch METALLICA. Ulrich said: "It was the summer of '81 and I'd been trying to get a band off the ground in California, but not much happened, so I sort of got fed up with the whole thing.

"DIAMOND HEAD were my favorite band, and I landed at Heathrow Airport (in London) and I went down to Woolwich Odeon, it was called, which was sort of a baby Odeon; it was about the size of this room we're in here. And there they were — DIAMOND HEAD. And I brown-nosed my way backstage and got a chance to meet them afterwards. I had actually written them a couple of fan letters. I was stunned to find out that they actually knew who I was. Maybe they didn't get as much fan mail as I expected, because the letter that I had sent them were actually on their radar. But then I ended up staying with them for the better part of the rest of the summer and ended up sleeping in the singer's front room.

"A lot of these bands that came out of that period, everything about the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal that I really liked was that all these bands were really grounded. There was a relaxed atmosphere around them, it wasn't sort of... Everything that had been going on in the '70s with bands like QUEEN and PINK FLOYD and DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN, it was all about this larger-than-life type of thing and all these bands that were so grand and so majestic and so kind of out there. And a lot of these new bands — IRON MAIDEN and DIAMOND HEAD and all these bands — they were just kids, and they had their feet very firmly planted on the ground. So, in some way, the spirit of that whole movement was about keeping it real and all those attitudes just kind of rubbed off on us and rubbed off on me and made me want to start a band and really have the fans involved and give the fans as much access as possible."

In a new interview with Spain's The Metal Circus, ex-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about the fact that he is constantly being associated his his former band, even as he tries to launch several new musical projects, including KINGS OF THRASH and DIETH. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm always gonna be known for my work in MEGADETH. But me not being in MEGADETH is not of my choice. [Laughs] I think people are appreciative that I'm continuing to make music — at least from what I've seen. It's not like I left the band and said, 'Fuck you. I'm out.' 'Cause if I did that, and then if I was trying to start new bands, people would be, like, 'Fuck you, Ellefson. You left our favorite band. Fuck you. We don't care.' People know that that was not my decision; it's not the way I would have handled that at all.

"Clearly I'm not mad about the past," he continued. "I'm not disrespectful. I didn't just close the door on MEGADETH and say 'fuck you' and move on to something else; I didn't do that at all. I will always be an ambassador for that group and for those songs and for that music, because I'm a part of that. So I think that's the difference. I think I'm being very respectful toward it despite how my dismissal was handled. I think I've gone above and beyond being respectful. I can assure you many others would not have [laughs], but I did. At the same time, there's new music. There's a forward path. And I'm not just gonna live in my past, my glory days of the past.

"Look, I can just quit and not do any more music — to be honest with you, I could," Ellefson added. "And there are some days I think about that and go, 'Yeah, fuck all this shit. Maybe I should just stop and just fucking get rid of all my guitars and just call it a day.' I mean, there really are days I think about that. But then I turn around and I go, 'I'm gonna grab an instrument,' and I start playing. So it's that natural instinct to want to play. That's why there is another David Ellefson band. It's because I'm passionate about it and I'm honest and I'm genuine about it. I'm not forcing something. I'm certainly not doing it for the money. All these bands fucking cost me money. I put my own money back into these things."

Asked if he thinks he was "a victim of unnecessary criminalization" when he was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter, Ellefson said: "A hundred percent. Fucking a hundred percent I was. Everything about that was just not okay. [Laughs] But you can spend your life trying to get justice, trying to go down that road, and it's kind of like it always just follows you. I had some good advisors around me, and at some point, it's, like, 'Look, it is what it is. What happened, happened. Just move on.' Life is lived forward, not backward… Own your shit and move on. Which is what I did. The night that a video was put out of me that I knew nothing about, and there it was. And all of a sudden, it's, like, hey, own your shit. All right. Whatever. That happened. Move on. And don't sit there and try to go back and do some spin control or call the publicists. 'Cause that's what some people wanted to do. And I was, like, 'Fuck that.' It is what it is. Just fucking own it and move on. And I'd like to think there's more integrity in just 'own your shit and move on.' … Let that situation help you get better rather than just sit around and hate on everyone."

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

Pressed about whether he looks back on what happened and thinks what he did was "bad", Ellefson said: "First of all, I'm entitled to a personal life, and I didn't do anything to anyone — period. And that's just the bottom line. And some people set out to really hurt me. And I don't really wanna keep digging this up, because now we're doing the very thing I'm talking, which is not digging it up. We've moved on from it. It is what it is, it was what it was, and I certainly set out to prove what it wasn't. And that's the path I took.

"I think the bigger picture here… 'Cause I think right away… Look, I came forward and [said], 'It is what it is. Sorry. It's embarrassing.' But the fact that I was discounted from my band was clearly… I think people can see, because [the announcement that I was being fired] was personally signed [by MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine]… There was other resentments and other things behind that. And I think that's what became clear. And again, I did my best to try to mend that fence and to fix that, but he didn't wanna know about it. So it is what it is.

"I have not spent the last two years walking around saying 'fuck you' and ta-da-da-da-da. If anything, hey, I wish you well. Get on with your life. If that's what it is, then it's better to go our separate ways."

Asked if he is happier now than he was before, Ellefson said: "Very much. And in fact, outside of you and me talking about this, I don't even think about MEGADETH anymore. I really don't — I don't think about it. That whole thing, to me, it's dead to me, to be honest with you."

He continued: "I wasn't unhappy before. I knew what I was walking back into when I came back to MEGADETH. I knew what I was walking back into in 2010, which is why I agreed to only go back for one month and do the 'Rust In Peace' [anniversary] tour. And essentially I saved the day, because they didn't have a bass player, and they were about ready to go play the 'Rust In Peace' album. And [then-MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover, who recently was under some pretty shitty attack by a certain person we know, Shawn Drover did the right thing bringing me to MEGADETH. It was the right move for the band, for the legacy, for the fans, for the 'Big Four', for everything around it. Shawn Drover is a hero to MEGADETH. And he brought me back. I agreed to do it for a month. It went well, so we agreed to go to South America. It went well. We agreed to carry on, and we just kind of took it one tour at a time. And that carried on for another 11 years. So as much as there's some recent scrutiny about I should have never been brought back… Well, apparently I should have been, and apparently I should have never been out of there in the first place. And the two times that I've not been there were not of my doing. The first [exit] was over the change of financial splits, and then the second time was clearly of something much bigger — personal grudges and resentments toward me. But that notwithstanding, I knew what I was walking back into. And we had a lot of good times. There was a lot of fun in the 11 years that I came back. Not so much in the recent years. The last couple of years were pretty shitty and pretty difficult, especially trying to make that record [MEGADETH's 2022 album 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!']. It was very clear I was not invited into it. I was not welcomed. Clearly Dave did not want me to be part of that story, of that album. And I knew it. So, again, I'm a big boy. I get it. I see it. So that's why when I was dismissed, it was kind of, like, 'Well, all right. Move on from that.' That's why I'm not bitter about this. Now, it didn't end the way I thought it would, but oh, well. MEGADETH's over again. Well, now what? Move on. So I'd already been down this road once before."

Ellefson added: "I think, for me, I always knew when I came back to the group that don't look for your happiness here. Enjoy it. Be thankful for it. It's gonna end. You just don't know when or how, but it will end one day, and it did. So when it happened, I was able to just kind of move on from it and get away from — again — shitty people that did shitty things to me and just kind of close all that down and move on. So I think now there's just a lot more joy in my life. I make music I like with people I like. I'm excited about it."

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

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

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

Auction house Sotheby's has announced that around 1,500 items from late QUEEN singer Freddie Mercury's London home will be displayed in exhibitions around the world for the first time throughout 2023, with some going up for sale in September. An estimated 1,500 items will be sold over the course of six auctions and are expected to bring in more than £6 million ($7.4 million).

In a Sotheby's press release, Mercury's close friend Mary Austin, who has cared for the items for more than 30 years at his former Garden Lodge home in upmarket Kensington, said she decided it was time to let the items go.

"For many years now, I have had the joy and privilege of living surrounded by all the wonderful things that Freddie sought out and so loved," Austin said in a statement. "But the years have passed, and the time has come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life.

"Freddie was an incredible and intelligent collector who showed us that there is beauty and fun and conversation to be found in everything," she added. "I hope [the upcoming events] will be an opportunity to share all the many facets of Freddie, both public and private, and for the world to understand more about, and celebrate, his unique and beautiful spirit."

When Freddie died in 1991, he left both the house and its contents to Mary, his former girlfriend and lifelong friend. For three decades, Austin kept the house and its contents almost exactly as they were when Mercury died, but she has now decided to sell the collection.

A highlight of the sale will be Freddie Mercury's handwritten working lyrics to one of QUEEN's greatest anthems, "We Are The Champions", including harmonies and chords, written across nine pages. Also available are the previously unseen working lyrics to "Killer Queen", written on a single sheet of paper in black Biro in 1974.

In an interview with BBC News, Mary said the pages of lyrics and musical notes are particularly difficult to part with. "You're looking at the process of the artist, of work in progress," she explained. "The crossings out, the rethinking, the reformatting. ... I decided that it wouldn't be appropriate for me to keep things back. If I was going to sell, I had to be brave and sell the lot."

In addition to draft song lyrics. the items in the sale will include: pink, star-shaped glasses similar to the dark pair Mercury wore in the music video for his band's 1977 classic "We Will Rock You"; his tiny Tiffany & Co. mustache comb; his guitar, believed to have been used to write and record "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"; the waistcoat Mercury wore in his final music video, "These Are The Days Of Our Lives", in 1991; and a Pablo Picasso linocut titled "Jacqueline Au Chapeau Noir".

David MacDonald, the head of single owner sales at Sotheby's London, said: "Freddie Mercury's collection is a manifestation of one extraordinary man's creativity, taste and unerring eye for beauty, presenting so much more than just an exquisite selection of the very best examples by artists across centuries and countries. Like a Russian doll, Garden Lodge has revealed its layers of treasures over recent months, with the rich tapestry of objects we have discovered there taking us all on a glorious adventure through his imagination. Opening the door to the very special place that was Freddie Mercury's home offers us the ultimate backstage pass into his world."

The exhibition with Mercury's items will head to Sotheby's New York in June, then visit Sotheby's Los Angeles and Sotheby's Hong Kong, before returning to London. The Sotheby's London gallery with Mercury's collection will open on August 4 and close on what would have been his 77th birthday on September 5.

Following the exhibition, there will be a live sale on September 6, in which the most significant items from his collection will be sold, followed by six auctions with various themes: "On Stage," "At Home," "In Love with Japan," "Crazy Little Things" Part One and "Crazy Little Things" Part Two.

Austin will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales to HIV/AIDS charities the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John Aids Foundation.

During an appearance on "Put Up Your Dukes", the podcast hosted by ex-EXODUS singer Rob Dukes, former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel reflected on his audition for the lead-singer position in SEPULTURA when Max Cavalera quit the latter band in 1996. Speaking about how his audition came about, Demmel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had kind of quit music [at that point]. I was married with my first wife, just being young and dumb. I had a great job, I was in the union and was snowboarding and golfing and playing basketball three times a week. I was just doing that and kind of stepped out of music. So that came up. And it was, like, 'Yeah.' 'Cause I had done [a band called] TORQUE and I had been singing and playing and was used to that. I think that they [SEPULTURA] already had [found] Derrick [Green] and it was already a done deal [that he was going to be in the band]. But it was a good experience to get in and write lyrics over one of their original songs and make up my own phrasing and go in and sing it. So it was a good experience nonetheless… James Murphy [former TESTAMENT and DEATH guitarist] recorded me [at his studio]. I think it's on YouTube somewhere. It's not that good, man. It's so mid-'90s. I think the tune changed a little bit, too. It was a song called 'Choke' that was on that first record [1998's 'Against'] with Derrick."

Regarding the style of vocals he used for his SEPULTURA audition, Demmel previously told Rock Talks: "It was kind of raspy, kind of Chuck Billy [TESTAMENT] a little bit. If you listen to the TORQUE record — if you just pull up the TORQUE record on Spotify or iTunes or whatever — you'll have an idea. I did a whole record with me singing. [It's] the same voice."

In a March 2022 interview with Rocking With Jam Man, TESTAMENT's Chuck Billy, who also auditioned for SEPULTURA, was asked if he was disappointed when he didn't get the gig. Chuck replied: "No, 'cause TESTAMENT wouldn't be TESTAMENT. We wouldn't be able to write the records that we did — 'The Gathering' and all the great records of music. And the reunion of our original band wouldn't have happened.

"When I did the audition, I was too late; they already selected Derrick as the singer," he explained. "So that was a good thing. 'Cause if I would have got that gig, things would have been different for TESTAMENT."

Asked if he wishes that he had gotten the SEPULTURA job or if he likes how things turned out, Chuck said: "I like how it turned out, but at the time I wanted it to happen because music was up in the air; [TESTAMENT] was broken up; everything was changing; the music climate was changing. So I thought back when I auditioned that I wanted something secure — I wanted a security. And to me, finding a band that had something established is what I thought I wanted. Luckily, I didn't get it. Things would have been much different for me if I would have still been in SEPULTURA."

Pressed about whether he would have liked to have joined SEPULTURA if TESTAMENT had ended completely, Chuck said: "In a sense, but looking back now, I don't know. I mean, every band has their hardships and up and downs, so I don't know if I would have got into the band and then we would have hit a stone wall and had hardships there. I probably wouldn't have been in the band. I probably would have left the band. And who knows what I would have done."

Billy previously discussed his SEPULTURA audition in a 2016 interview with Eonmusic. At the time, he said: "Yeah, around that time was right before [TESTAMENT made] the 'Demonic' record, so we had finished our Atlantic [Records] contract, and we were shopping for a new deal. We didn't really have a deal yet, and at the last minute, I just said, 'You know what? Maybe I should try to find a band that's solid, that's going to keep touring and continue on,' and at that point, SEPULTURA was taking auditions, and I think it was at the end [of the audition process] that I decided, 'Screw it, I'm going to do it.' I think I did three songs; I did 'Refuse/Resist', I did 'Territory', and I wrote my version of 'Choke', and gave it to them. But by the time I had delivered, they had already made their decision for [the appointment of new singer] Derrick [Green], which in the end, was probably the way it all should have worked out."

Asked if it would have been a strange feeling to be performing with a new bunch of guys after playing with the same band for most of his career, Chuck said: "It would have been, yeah. I don't know if I was really prepared, and if they would have said, 'Okay, you're in,' I would have said, 'Well, let me think about that!' I don't know what I would have done. I just did it on the spur of the moment, like, 'Fuck it! What have I got to lose?!'"

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about Billy's audition for the band during a 2015 appearance on "The Jasta Show". He said: "Chuck [laid down his vocals over] the [demo version of a then-new SEPULTURA song called] 'Choke' … Because we sent the instrumental [version] of a new song [to prospective singers to record their vocals over]. We didn't want anyone to sing 'Roots [Bloody Roots]' or 'Refuse/Resist', because we didn't want a clone. We wanted somebody to bring new ideas, to bring SEPULTURA to a different path, to a different level. And Chuck Billy, he did… He used more of the guttural [vocal style on his audition tape]. And it works. Because, recently, we did a 'Metal Allegiance' jam at NAMM in Los Angeles, and we played some SEPULTURA stuff with Chuck Billy singing, and it was great, man — it was great. So he did a great job. But, you know, he's Chuck Billy; he's TESTAMENT. We wanted somebody new."

A two-minute snippet of Chuck Billy's SEPULTURA audition tape can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

David Coverdale says that WHITESNAKE has never used backing tracks during the band's concerts.

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

Coverdale addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a new interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen & Shane McEachern". Asked for his opinion on singers who use backing tracks for their lead vocals, the WHITESNAKE vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that's happening a lot, unfortunately. But that's somebody's choice. That doesn't happen with us.

"I remember years ago somebody who should have known better had made a remark that they were shocked to see us using tapes," he continued. "This is many, many years ago. And nobody could be further from the fucking truth. Are you kidding? My band are great players and great singers — simple fact. But it got so ridiculous, how it does with the viral Internet, we invited journalists to come and stand at the front of house and see that everything that was going on is live.

"But that is WHITESNAKE," David added. "And I've gotta tell you, you're getting live, wherever you are. Good or bad, it's live. There's never been a consideration of tapes. But I do know a lot of my contemporaries embrace that. And good luck to them. It's not interesting to me.

"Listen, even when I'm making promo videos, I'm singing my nuts off. I can't pretend," he said.

Back in 2009, legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) told Spain's The Metal Circus that he "heard on the Internet that David Coverdale was using all kinds of tapes. Well, I was in Finland [in June 2008] with Graham Bonnet and we were on the same festival [Sauna Open Air] as WHITESNAKE, and I couldn't believe he was using these tapes — for lead singing," he said. "Not just backgrounds, but lead! And I was... My mouth was open. I was like, 'What the fuck, David?! You can't do this. You look so stupid, so foolish.' And everyone is complaining about this. No, I'm singing live. This is what you get; that's it. . . I'm not trying to talk shit... This is true. Everybody sees this. . . I couldn't believe it, because he [David] was always one of my favorite singers. To use tapes for a lead vocal... I can understand backgrounds if the [rest of the bandmembers] don't sing. But for lead?! You've gotta be kidding."

Coverdale later fiercely denied Turner's allegations that the WHITESNAKE frontman lip-synced to pre-recorded tapes of vocals in concert, calling Joe's claims "absolute balderdash."

Coverdale told Classic Rock magazine: "I have no idea what the hell the daft bugger's talking about. I do not, have not and will not use tapes of my voice to mime in concert. My band and I perform and sing live in concert. Yeah… we're that fucking good! What a total prick."

Coverdale continued: "We had these rumors in Germany [in 2008] while we were on tour with ALICE COOPER and we actually had a journo sit out at the front-of-house mix to verify the rumors were unfounded.

"It's strange… this started on the Internet [in 2008] in Spain, then again in Germany. It persisted so much that SPV, my record company, proposed we get a 'regarded German journalist' to witness and report on the show, so we did.

"I'm not sure what you can do when something like this does the rounds. I'm still dealing with the 'Is it true you're joining VAN HALEN' rumors from years ago.

"If this continues, I'll get a some of my professional associates to make statements about this nonsense," he added.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Saint" podcast, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie, who celebrated his 33rd wedding anniversary to his high school sweetheart last September, spoke about his secret to a happy, loving marriage. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've been married — it'll be 34 years in September. And then we went out for nine before that. But we broke up, like, three or four times.

"She's been through it," he continued. "And I've always said, if you're gonna get into the music industry, whether you're a girl or a guy, your partner better be strong — completely independent — because if they're not, it's not gonna last. And I've seen so many marriages break up. And here's the crazy thing — in [DREAM THEATER], everyone's still married [to their longtime wives]."

LaBrie elaborated on the challenges facing partners of touring musicians, saying: "At the beginning of it, it's exciting, but then they go, 'Oh, okay, now it's the third world tour they're about to start and embark on, so he's gonna be gone again four or five weeks at a time,' or 'She's gonna be gone four or five weeks at a time.' And I think on the partner, it's just, like, 'Oh my God. It's either you're here 24-7 or you're gone.'

"It's a different world — for sure it is," he continued. "But I think, too, being in an industry like this, or any kind of business that takes you away, makes you appreciate all the things that you do have, especially the simple things. Like just getting up, going downstairs and having a cup of coffee and sitting in your living room and having a conversation. I think we get too stuck in a rut. It's, like, like, 'Oh, same old, same old.' Well, go away for a bit. Not that everybody has that luxury, but flip it up and then come back and then you're going, 'Wait a minute. This is a good thing that I've got going on here.'"

LaBrie previously discussed his marriage this past January in an interview with "The Mistress Carrie Podcast". At the time, he said: "As far as keeping a marriage together, it's all about compromise. It's all about understanding. It's all about — definitely one hundred percent, first and foremost — respect. You have to respect one another and appreciate one another. And, yeah, you're gonna go through your lows and your highs. Everyone has these moments of… Or even consternation I can think of, where you're, like, 'What the hell is going on here?' But I would say that those points are the most important. You have to be willing to compromise. You have to be willing to be extremely understanding, respectful, compassionate and caring, considerate."

Asked if keeping a band together is harder than keeping a marriage together, James told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast": "Once again, it comes down to the individuals, their personalities. And I've said this several times in a lot of interviews. I've said you've gotta think about when you are married, that's one person that you're dealing with and that you want to get to know intimately, and through the years you do — I would hope you do. But I said, with bandmembers, however many bandmembers you have, that's how many people you have to figure out and you have to come to an understanding. Because we all have our idiosyncrasies; we all have our good points and our bad points. And it's a little bit of a whirlwind. And I think that's why a lot of bands don't stand the test of time, is because we're all coming from a different place, and at times you have some huge frickin' head banging going on. And it's not behind the sense of the song; it's just these personality conflicts. And then you're also in a creative environment. So that in itself is a very sensitive situation to be in. And you have to be respectful and at times very diplomatic. Because if you don't like something that somebody's presenting, you don't just go, 'Dude, that sucks.' So you have to be, 'No. You know what? I'm not hearing it. I don't feel it. I'm sorry. Can we try another angle? Can we approach that a little differently? Let's kind of twist and bend it, or whatever, to get around it.' Because, yeah, it's just difficult.

"I would definitely say that… band… I think with marriage, I would hope that you're worried about the repercussions if you don't smarten up," James added. "With band, yeah, there are repercussions, but at the end of the day, if you can't really stand being around that person, you do have the option to [walk away]."

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

"A View From The Top Of The World" was described in a press released as "DREAM THEATER at its musical finest, expanding on the sound they helped create while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe." The seven-song album also marked the second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap.

Los Angeles' Krashkarma can easily be described as one of metal’s most accomplished duos. With an impressive track record, which includes over 3 million views on their YouTube channel, over 100,000 followers on Facebook and more than 600 shows performed around the globe, the band is ready to unveil new material with their sixth studio album, entitled Falling To Pieces, coming June 2023 via Rockshots Records.


Looking behind the facts and figures, the band is one of the only few metal duos with a female drummer and vocalist, and a single guitarist/bassist. From behind the drum kit the energetic Niki Skistimas keeps the rhythm rock-tight as she delivers her seductively-charged vocals; meanwhile, guitarist/bassist and co-vocalist Ralf Dietel brings the material to life with his unique Frankenstein guitar/bass creation. Never before have two people created a sound so immense yet so vibrant.


For the new full-length, the duo wrote and recorded at Karma Kollective Studios in North Hollywood, California along with Ralf Dietel taking on producing, mixing, and mastering plus artwork duties. They are a self-producing duo that can be considered a jack of all trades when it comes to everything from creating to presenting their music.




A representation of the universal human experience, where the blending of differences creates something extraordinary, Krashkarma is intense, raw, dynamic, and electrifying. Featuring 12 tracks, Falling To Pieces is a story that will take fans on a journey from start to finish. From the thunderous drum intro and heart-wrenching scream pouring out of Niki Skistimas' whole being, it sets the stage for what's to come. From there, the album takes you on a wild ride! Krashkarma has put a lot of effort into crafting a narrative that's both compelling and epic, with each song building on the last to create a cohesive whole. Along the way, listeners will encounter soaring melodies, crushing riffs, and blistering solos over hammering grooves interplaying with the vocal harmonies between Niki and Ralf that Krashkarma is known for.


"Our fans will absolutely love our new album. It's heavier and better than anything we've ever done before. We are confident that they will be blown away by it. There are all the elements that make our sound our own. Ralf really dove into utilizing every resource available to him to write the most creative riffs and bass lines possible on his prototype guitar/bass instrument, Ms. Frankenstein. We wanted the sound on the record to be as close to how we will play it live as possible and kept that in mind in the recording process. Our fans know we love a good melody and any opportunity to chant together, so there will be plenty of that as well. All the songs represent a significant moment in time for us and we're excited to share them with the world," adds drummer/vocalist Niki Skistimas.


Today, the duo presents their first single and the album's title track, accompanied by a music video. The song's riff is reminiscent of the band In Flames. It starts with a hard-hitting intro, followed by a short half-time verse, and then ends in a bittersweet chorus. When the duo is on tour in the US, they often drive long distances at night and to stay awake, they like to listen to Melo-Death Metal, and that has left its mark on them.





The band adds about the track: "'Falling To Pieces' starts off with a melodic heavy riff and within 60 seconds it showcases all the elements that create the monster known as Krashkarma. The lyrics describe the feeling of being lost in darkness, with the protagonist floating somewhere between the stars. They feel like they are slowly falling apart and that their darkness is growing. Like a sense of falling over the edge and being unable to turn back, with the gravity that once held them down no longer working. The song ends with crossing over into the unknown and fading away, like a star in the sky."


Stream / download the digital single here.


Krashkarma's Falling To Pieces is out June 23, 2023, and is available to pre-order at this location.





Tracklisting:


"Falling To Pieces" 
"15 Minutes Of Pain" 
"Survive The Afterlife" 
"Tap Dancing Through Minefields" 
"Last Rites" 
"Voodoo Devil Drums" 
"How God Lost Her Virginity" 
"Orphans In Zombieland" 
"Shut Up" 
"Fireball" 
"Monsters Exit The Hopeless" 
"Before The World Moved On"


Catch Krashkarma live on the Falling To Pieces World Tour:





 

At a time when cultural innovation is being side-lined like never before and many unusual forms of music are succumbing to the temptation of the more commercially lucrative mainstream, Virgin Steele are the shining silver lining.


For over 40 years, mastermind David DeFeis has kept one of the most imaginative bands in the power metal genre on track with his excellent songwriting and charismatic voice. At the same time, DeFeis has never stopped evolving as a composer, musician and producer, updating his symphonic-tinged sound with exciting new influences. He has already accomplished this many times over with classics like Invictus (1998), The House Of Atreus I & II (1999/2000) and Visions Of Eden (2006).


With his current album, The Passion Of Dionysus, DeFeis surpasses himself in his unbridled creativity. Eight years after the acclaimed studio opus, Nocturnes Of Hellfire & Damnation (2015), DeFeis’ brilliant signature maneuvers the album through a gripping parable about control and freedom, creating another highlight of the Virgin Steele catalog.




As usual, David DeFeis has chosen a downright epic theme that delves deep into the annals of human history, while maintaining a concrete reference to the present: "The album deals with the concept of duality. Where something is both one thing and its opposite simultaneously“, he explains about the underlying message of the new record. "It obviously has to do with Dionysus and, as the title suggests, his “Passion” or suffering, and his coming to Thebes to avenge the slander of his mother, as well as punish the King of Thebes for denying his worship there. But that being said, more is going on.“


On The Passion Of Dionysus, DeFeis tells the epic struggle between the twin forces of control/restraint and freedom/release, as well as dealing with the question of “whether or not there is room in society for the irrational, the wild, the letting-go aspects of ourselves.”


There is no doubt that David DeFeis is not only an ingenious composer and musician, but also a true visionary who – with his band – has the perfect medium at his disposal to evolve both humanly and culturally: "I see Virgin Steele as a way of life. The band is my vehicle with which I traverse vast oceans of experience. We are always doing things our own way, on our own specific terms.“


Looking at the grandiose The Passion Of Dionysus, it’s no wonder at all that his fans accept this approach unconditionally!


The Passion Of Dionysus will be released worldwide on June 30 via SPV/Steamhammer in the following formats:


- CD DigiPak (incl. poster and 24 pages booklet)
- 2LP Gatefold (in purple-violet vinyl), CD/LP bundle with shirt (only at the Steamhammer Shop)
- Download and Stream


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Gethsemane Effect"
"You'll Never See The Sun Again"
"A Song Of Possession"
"The Ritual Of Descent"
"Spiritual Warfare"
"Black Earth & Blood"
"The Passion Of Dionysus"
"To Bind & Kill A God"
"Unio Mystica"
"I Will Fear No Man For I Am A God"


Virgin Steele is:


David DeFeis - vocals, keyboards, bass and orchestrations
Edward Pursino - 6-string guitar
Josh Block - 7-string guitar

UK heavy metal band Fury have never been afraid to explore their softer side, as evidenced by their 2020 maritime-themed love song, "Upon The Lonesome Tide". Before plunging into recording their fifth studio album, the band have looked back to their 2016 release, Lost In Space, to create a re-imagining of a fan favourite, "Dragon’s Song".


This new and epic version of the track, with its folk and orchestral elements, would feel at home on the soundtrack to your favourite fantasy drama, such as Lord of The Rings or The Witcher. For the acoustic elements, Luke Appleton (Blaze Bayley and Absolva) was enlisted for his guitar playing and backing vocals. This is also the first Fury release since co-vocalist Nyah Ifill has been an official member of the band, and the gentle nature of the instrumentation creates a soundscape for the two harmonised vocals to soar. 


About the reasoning behind this re-imagining of a classic Fury song, vocalist Julian Jenkins comments:




“Luke and I had been talking about doing something together for a while now, and I'd performed Dragon's Song in the rare acoustic sets I'd done in the past with Nyah. It always sounded great acoustic and I always felt there was a lot more we could do with it, so it seemed like a good choice. We decided that we wanted to record it with Matt Jones at Capsaarx studios, and we also asked Matt if he could write one or two tasteful string lines to go with the song. A whole symphony orchestra later and the track sounds incredible and has far surpassed anything we first imagined. I actually think that this new version captures the wonder and the magic of the subject matter even more so than the original. I'm extremely proud of it!”


The single has been released along with a music video filmed by Lion Island Media.


Luke Appleton comments: “I am very pleased to be collaborating with my good friends Fury once again. It felt natural to record an acoustic song with my history of writing acoustic music for my solo CD’s. It was also an added bonus to choose one of Fury’s most iconic songs. This also presented itself as a great opportunity to make use of my brand new Ortega 7 string Nylon guitar. I had such an enjoyable time recording in the studio with Becky, Julian and Nyah and I hope this is just the beginning of our recording projects together.”

Outlanders is the unique project of Finnish soprano legend Tarja Turunen and EDM pioneer Torsten Stenzel.


They worked on the album for over 10 years and had support from some of the most influential guitarists of our time. Each song features a special guitarist as a guest including Al Di Meola, Trevor Rabin, Joe Satriani, Jennifer Batten, Steve Rothery, Mike Oldfield, Walter Giardino, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Vernon Reid, and Marty Friedman. Seven tracks have already been pre-released digitally.


Outlanders have succeeded in creating something exciting and new: the music combines relaxed but exciting electronic beats with Tarja's emotional, classically trained voice and unique guitar performances. The sound is mysterious, gentle and yet powerful, catchy and dreamy, modern and classic at the same time. The music contains opposites that attract each other in a magical way. 




The eighth track, "A Peaceful Place (Return To The Oasis)", with guitarist Walter Giardino as special guest is available on all digital platforms and as limited collector's edition on 7" vinyl exclusively in Tarja's online store.





Now, the long-awaited album will be released on June 23 on CD and blue curacao limited edition vinyl. Pre-order here.





Tracklist:


"Outlanders" (Feat. Walter Giardino)
"Closer to the Sky" (Feat. Trevor Rabin of YES)
"The Cruellest Goodbye" (Feat. Al DiMeola)
"World in My Eyes" (Feat. Vernon Reid of Living Colour)
"Mystique Voyage" (Feat Steve Rothery
"The Sleeping Indian" (Feat. Joe Satriani and Nkoye Zifah)
"Land of Sea and Sun" (Feat. Marty Friedman)
"1971" (Feat. Walter Giardino)
"We Own This Sky" (Feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal)
"Never Too Far" (Feat. Mike Oldfield)
"Echoes" (Feat. Jennifer Batten)
"A Peaceful Place (Return To Oasis)" (Feat. Walter Giardino)

Last month, producer Burt Sugarman announced the launch of his YouTube channel, The Midnight Special TV Show, celebrating the legendary late-night TV show that featured the biggest names in music, comedy and entertainment from the '70s and early '80s.


Now, The Midnight Special has shared video footage of KISS performing their song "Deuce", which was released in 1974 on the band's self-titled debut album.







Previously, The Midnight Special has shared video footage of KISS performing their song "She", which was released in 1975 on the band's third studio album, Dressed To Kill.





From musical legends like Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, KISS, Elton John, The Beach Boys, The Bee Gees, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn to comedians like Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Richard Pryor and George Carlin, The Midnight Special showcased many of the industry’s biggest artists between 1972 and 1981.


This YouTube release of The Midnight Special will allow fans to rediscover the magic of the show, while introducing a new generation to the incredible performances that took place live on its stage. With over 400 episodes produced over a decade, the original pilot, and dozens of performances will be available to stream for the first time in nearly 50 years.


"The Midnight Special was a groundbreaking and revolutionary show that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on television as not one broadcaster had programming available after 1:00 AM back then," said Burt Sugarman, the show's creator. "I insisted on live performances in front of an audience, there was no lip syncing. I'm thrilled that it will be available for all fans, as well as a new generation of viewers who may not be familiar with the show. Audiences can enjoy hours of classic performances and interviews from the biggest stars of that era.”


The Midnight Special is available to stream on YouTube by subscribing to the channel, here.


 

During an appearance earlier today (Tuesday, April 18) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted spoke about his decision to reactivate his NEWSTED project for a May 20 concert at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Newsted, who plays bass and sings in the project, will be joined at the gig by original NEWSTED members Jesus Mendez Jr. (UNDERLORD) on drums and Jessie Farnsworth (UNDERLORD) on guitar, along with new guitarist Humberto Perez.

Asked how he arrived at the decision to bring back NEWSTED after a decade-long absence, Jason said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Kind of by happenstance and how we keep chasing it for fun. That's always been our thing — playing with whoever, whenever.

"About a year ago at this time, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND played at the Maltz Theatre in Jupiter, Florida, and Jesus Mendez, the drummer NEWSTED, and Jessie Farnsworth, the guitarist, guested at the end of that program. And they came over to HQ, and we jammed a bit on the side. And I think that seed got replanted. And so I had to finish with THE CHOPHOUSE BAND album, so I did that. And then [I] got these guys back together a couple of weeks ago again. And it was an epiphanous kind of trip — everybody smiling at each other and happy that we're still alive and everything. So it's really mostly for feeling alive and marking the tenth anniversary [of the formation of the band] and being brothers again."

Regarding whether the Revolution Live concert will be a one-off performance or if there will be more NEWSTED gigs to come, Jason said: "I've lived in Florida for 25 years. I've only ever done the acoustic stuff as any kind of public performance… So this is the first time that I reached out to anybody in the circles of people that have come to the art shows and stuff like that. And I said, 'Where's a cool place to play?' And they pointed me to Revolution [Live]. And we checked it out. And I talked to some folks there, and they said, 'By all means, dude, bring it down here.' And I talked to Jesus and Jessie, and I've been auditioning guitar players… We found a guy from Caracas, Venezuela. Now he's up in West Palm for a little while — Humberto Perez — and he's a good player. [Former NEWSTED guitarist] Mike Mushok can't be in it 'cause STAIND's got their plate full right now and he's doing his thing."

He added: "It is a one-off thing for fun to mark the time, to mark the date, to show that we're alive, and whoever is lucky enough to be there, that is the deal right there."

Pressed about whether he would be open to doing more shows or recording new music in the future with NEWSTED, Jason said: "I like the idea of a possible reissue or something of the 'Heavy Metal Music' LP, original LP, for the ten-year thing, possibly. So if these kind of seeds are planted and the reaction that we get on that night and if I get my engine all turned up again, you never know what can happen. But I don't wanna say never on any of it. I really have been enjoying it."

As for why he abruptly stopped doing NEWSTED back in 2014, seemingly without an official explanation, Jason said: "I think I should have asked for more help — in 20/20 hindsight. I've worked hard to protect the legacy, as it were, I guess, if that's the term. It's important as an outsider, insider and otherwise, for the opportunity that I've been given. I try to be really careful about what moves I make. I really didn't want to coattail anything from anywhere. And I wanna do my own thing and try to do it with Chophouse Records and my own stuff and wear so many hats so many different times. I jumped into ECHOBRAIN project, which is something that was kind of already assembled. VOIVOD, obviously, was already very assembled. The NEWSTED band was a fresh thing. Since FLOTSAM [AND JETSAM], that's the only thing I've been a founder of since that time. I didn't wanna ask for help from the people I could have, and I think that's probably what it comes down to. It would have been better for my head and my overall [mental health] if I could have worn less hats and been able to concentrate more on my show."

Back in February 2014, Newsted canceled an appearance at Australia's Soundwave festival with NEWSTED, citing "private and personal circumstances." The cancelation followed more than a year of intense touring and promotional activity surrounding the release of NEWSTED's "Metal" EP and follow-up album, "Heavy Metal Music", both of which were positively received by the critics and fans alike.

During today's "Trunk Nation" interview, Jason revealed that the Fort Lauderdale concert will see NEWSTED only play "a couple of songs" from "Metal" and "Heavy Metal Music" and that most of the material performed will be "all new".

Mushok, who joined NEWSTED in March 2013 and played on "Heavy Metal Music", told "The Jasta Show" in a 2019 interview that Jason ultimately pulled the plug on the band because it wasn't financially viable for him to continue playing.

"I think he was happy with it [creatively]," Mike said. "I think the touring thing was hard. I don't think it was exactly what he expected it was going to be. But listen, it was fun. I really enjoyed him. I really enjoyed our time together and playing. We're still friends; we still communicate… We were playing smaller places, but the shows were always good; they were always fun. I just think it cost him a ton. 'Cause he was footing the bill for everything. So I think that at the end of the day, he's, like, 'I'm doing this 'cause of my passion for it and what I love, but I'm bleeding here.' We had this European tour that I think cost him a bunch."

Explaining that he is "really thankful" for the "great experience" of playing with Jason, Mike praised his former bandmate, saying: "Jason is a hard worker, man. We would practice 10 hours, he'd record the whole thing, and when we were done, he wouldn't walk out of the control — he'd sit there and listen to it. I'm, like, 'Dude! Come on, man.' I mean, there's a hard work — I'm a hard worker, but this guy was next level."

"Heavy Metal Music" sold nearly 8,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 40 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available in August 2013 in North America via Chophouse Records/Collective Sounds and in Europe through Spinefarm Records.

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Veteran music business attorney Peter Paterno, who has worked with METALLICA since the early 1980s, has defended the band's lawsuit against Napster in 2000. Although the case was settled out of court, more than 300,000 users were banned from the pioneering music file-sharing service as a result and METALLICA's image took a tremendous beating in the eyes of music fans. Asked in a new interview with Variety if he feels the legal action was "fair", Paterno responded, "Yeah", and added: "Because they were basically thieves! It's not a popular opinion. The popular opinion now is a sort of revisionist history that we shouldn't have sued Napster, we should have worked something out with them. Well, no, there was nothing to work out with them. 'You could have made a deal.' What was the deal? People were getting music for free. It was really necessary in order to set the ground rules for what music is worth. Those fans aren't fans — fans pay for music and appreciate its value. It's like Dre said when we told him about Napster. 'I work 24/7 in the lab and these guys just steal it? Screw them.'"

METALLICA sued Napster after the band discovered that a leaked demo version of its song "I Disappear" was circulating on the pioneering music file-sharing service before it was released.

In May 2000, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich famously delivered a literal truckload of paper to Napster Inc., listing hundreds of thousands of people who allegedly used the company's software to share unauthorized MP3s of METALLICA's songs.

METALLICA representatives compiled the more than 60,000-page list of 335,435 Napster user IDs over one weekend in response to Napster's promise to terminate the accounts of users who trade material without permission. Real names were not included in the list.

Last year, METALLICA guitaristKirk Hammett reflected on the band's legal dispute with the file-sharing site, telling Classic Rock magazine: "We warned everyone that this was gonna happen. We warned everyone that the music industry was gonna lose eighty percent of its net worth, power and influence. When these monumental shifts come, you just either fucking rattle the cage and get nothing done or you move forward.

"There's definitely a new way for getting music out there, but it isn't as effective as the music industry pre-Napster," he continued. "But we're stuck with it. There needs to be some sort of midway point where the two come together, or another completely new model comes in."

Three and a half years ago, Hammett said that METALLICA "did not make a difference" by trying to fight Napster.

"The amazing thing now is back then, people were saying, '20 years from now, we're gonna look back and say, 'Goddamn it! We did the right thing,'" the METALLICA guitarist said. "But when people were saying back then we were actually gonna make a difference? We didn't make a difference — we did not make a difference. It happened. And we couldn't stop it, because it was just bigger than any of us — this trend that happened that fucking sunk the fucking music industry. There was no way that we could stop it. It was a perfectly human thing that just happened. And what had happened was all of a sudden, it was just more convenient to get music and it was less convenient to pay for it. And there you have it.

"For me, it was kind of a leveling factor," he continued. "All of a sudden, all of us were brought back to the minstrel age now where musicians' only source of income is actually playing. And it's like that nowadays — except that a lot of these bands [chuckles] aren't really playing; they're pressing 'play' or something. But there are a lot of bands who actually fucking play their instruments and have to play to still be a band and still fucking survive. And that's cool, because it really separates who wants to do this and who is just here for the fucking pose. … You'll see who's passionate about it and who's really into it for the art of it, and then you'll see who's not so passionate about it and into the commerce of it.

"Maybe things might change," Hammett philosophized. "Maybe all of a sudden people will just start to prefer CDs or whatever format as to what's available now. Who's to say? I mean, it changed all so quickly back then; it could fucking change just as quickly now."

Back in 2017, Ulrich was asked by 92Y if there is anything he would have done differently in METALLICA's legal dispute with Napster. He responded: "To answer your question directly, I think we would have educated ourselves better about what the other side were thinking and what the real issues were. 'Cause you've gotta remember, this started out as a street fight. This wasn't about the future of music, this wasn't about the music business, this had absolutely nothing to do with money. This was a back-alley street fight.

"Cliff [Burnstein, METALLICA co-manager] calls one day and says… We were working on a song for this Tom Cruise film, 'Mission Impossible II', called 'I Disappear', and we recorded it in between some touring commitments, and it was gonna be held back till the next summer. And so one day I got a call from Cliff saying 'I Disappear' is being played on 20 radio stations across America, and we're, like, 'How the fuck is this possible?' And he said there's something called Napster where people can go and share. And we're, like, 'How the hell did they get 'I Disappear'? It lives in our vault somewhere.' And so we traced it back to this company Napster, and as you did in those days, it was, like, 'Well, let's go fuck with Napster then.' So just like these five bright lights on me, and I can't actually see any of you guys, all of a sudden, we were caught in these lights and we're standing out in the middle going, 'Oops.' I guess Napster means a lot to a lot of people, and so we were caught a little bit off guard with that, and then we sort of had to figure out how we were gonna play it."

Lars went on to say that METALLICA was "totally pro bootlegging" around the time Napster was launched. "You could show up at a METALLICA gig, you could buy a ticket, you could bring in your own recording devices and you could stand on a platform and record METALLICA shows," he said. "You could bootleg them and we were totally encouraging of this. We were all tape traders, and we were totally pro all this stuff. But the thing that blew our minds about Napster was we couldn't wrap our heads around, 'Why did nobody from Napster call and go, 'Are you okay with us doing this?' Because then it was a conversation. But they did this without checking in with us. And that was the part that we couldn't understand, that was where I think we could have educated ourselves better about how all of this worked and what it meant to people, because all of a sudden, we were standing out there going… And then we were caught in a shitstorm and people were, like, 'METALLICA, they're really greedy and money hungry,' and it had nothing — nothing — to do with money whatsoever. It was just about, 'Wait a minute! If we're gonna give away our music, which we don't mind doing, maybe we should do it, or maybe somebody should ask our permission.' That was it. And then that back-alley streetfight went public and worldwide and then we were completely caught off guard."

Regarding the decision to compile a list of user IDs in response to Napster's promise to terminate the accounts of users who trade material without permission, Lars said: "That was a dare. Because what [Napster] said… They were very smart and they really were very smart. And Sean Parker and I are best friends and we've had all this out, and I've complimented him and we rekindled our relationship. But they were so fucking smart. They said, 'We don't know who these people are that are downloading your songs.' And we went, 'We don't believe that. And we believe that we can find those names.' And they go, 'Okay. Who are they?' And we went, 'Here are the names.' I showed up at Napster and started pulling 335,000 names out of a pickup truck. 'Here are the people. If you can't find them, we can give 'em to you.' And so that was… maybe not the smartest PR move of all time, but at least we won the argument."

The drummer added: "Listen, as they say, that and a quarter will get me on the bus, but it seemed like a really good idea at the time. So, there you go."

In later years, METALLICA embraced digital music: in December 2012, the band made all of its studio albums, as well as various live material, singles, remixes and collaborations, available on Spotify.

MISFITS guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein says that METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was right to launch legal action against Napster in 2000. Doyle made his comments while speaking to "The Liquid Conversations" about the changes in the music industry since the MISFITS' inception more than 40 years ago.

"The thing that sucks the most about it is everybody steals music," Doyle said (hear audio below). "You spend a fucking hundred thousand dollars to make a record and all these fucking scumbags are just fucking stealing it. And then they want more. And you're a dick, 'cause you're doing a meet-and-greet [after concerts] for 50 fucking bucks to make up for it, which you don't wanna do. You think I wanna meet all these fucking people? I don't. When I'm done, I wanna fucking take a fucking shower and go to bed. I just worked, so..."

Doyle went on to say that people who criticize him for charging money for meet-and-greets "can kiss my ass. Seriously," he said. "You wanna fucking steal shit? If I was making motorcycles and they came and took one, would that be a crime? Why can't we punish people for stealing songs? There should be a $10,000 fine [for stealing music]."

He added: "They should really fucking police that shit. Shut the Internet down for a fucking day and fix it."

Asked how he approaches the issue of illegal music downloading now that he is releasing his albums through his own record label, Doyle said: "I don't know. How can I approach that? What are you gonna do? As soon as somebody buys it, where is it? It's up there for everybody to steal."

Doyle also blasted Spotify for the the paltry payments the music streaming service pays out to music rightsholders, saying: "Fuck them. Fucking bullshit… [As an artist] you make nothing. It's $9 a month [for a Spotify subscription fee], and you can listen to a song 10,000 times if you want — if there's enough time in that month to listen to it 10,000 times. I don't know. I can't do the math. But how much do you think each band gets? It's like a hundredth, maybe a thousandth of a penny you get. Are you fucking kidding me? My girlfriend [ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz] went to their office. She said it was insane. I would've went fucking mental. I would've started breaking everything."

Doyle also defended METALLICA for going after Napster when the band discovered that a leaked demo version of its song "I Disappear" was circulating on the service before it was released. METALLICA sued the pioneering music file-sharing service, claiming that it was illegally allowing users to download the group's tracks without paying royalties to the band.

"Lars Ulrich was right when he sued fucking Napster," he said. "And everybody thought he was a dick. He didn't do it for him. He's got the fucking money. He did it for fucking jerkoffs like me."

While the music-streaming service Spotify has gotten a lot of criticism for how little it pays artists for their music, many musicians have since have embraced the platform.

Songs streamed on the company's ad-supported tier last year earned $0.00014123 in mechanicals per play. This means that an artist would earn $100 in mechanical royalties after 703,581 streams. This number actually decreased from $0.00022288 in December 2016.

For the premium tier, Spotify paid $0.00066481 per stream. An artist would therefore earn just $100 after 150,419 streams.

Vermilion Whiskey have dropped their new single "The Get Down", alongside a lyric video for the track. The song is taken from their upcoming album, Crimson & Stone, which is out on May 26, 2023. 





The American south is steeped in rich musical tradition. In a time when metal is in a constant cycle of who can be the most brutal, we often forget where the tradition started and its signature sound. Leading the stripped bare and played loud is hard rocking stoner metal outfit Vermilion Whiskey. The Louisiana-based band is southern-fried hard rock at its finest. 




Vermilion Whiskey released 10 South on September 1st, 2013 and their booze-and-blues soaked riffing soaked through the floorboards of the local bar scene. With the kind of honest bar-rock conviction you’d expect to find from a ‘working man’s band’, they soon spread regionally across South Louisiana,  growing a loving fanbase and gaining momentum.


Their sophomore album, Spirit Of Tradition, came out on February 17th, 2017 to positive reviews as their regional presence grew, and Vermilion Whiskey began to share the stage with bands like Crowbar, Mothership, and many others.


Hitting the studio hard in early 2022, the band is currently preparing to release their third album, Crimson & Stone, on May 26th, 2023 and eager to return to playing live shows across their regional Gulf Coast stomping ground and beyond. The band recruited Tommy Buckley of Crowbar / Soilent Green to rehearse and record drum tracks, and also found current live drummer Wade Perkins, who was instrumental in helping to produce drum tracks alongside Tommy and Duane Simoneaux at OCD Recording and Production in New Orleans, Louisiana.


This newest offering is a blend of classic Vermilion Whiskey southern hard rock, driving stoner riffage, dabs of dissonant overtones, and a heavy helping of pure Louisiana sludge. 





Tracklisting:


"Intro"    
"Down On You"    
"The Get Down"    
"Confidence"
"Good Lovin"    
"Interlude"
"Dissonance"
"Atrophy"
"Hollow"








For further details, visit VermilionWhiskey.com.


 

Rock band Plush returns with a brand new single, entitled “Left Behind”, which showcases the band’s heavier side. “Left Behind” was recorded in Nashville with producers Zac Maloy, Blair Daly and Kile Odell, and is out now via Pavement Entertainment.


Listen to “Left Behind” on all streaming platforms here.


Lead vocalist Moriah Formica belts outs a fierce and aggressive range with vocal lines such as “We’re the cast-outs of society, one big, twisted family.” The ferocious riffs, down tuned guitars, and over the top vocals make this a rock anthem to be reckoned with.




Formica says, “This song was written for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast or a misfit.” 


Plush also has a new video available for “Left Behind”, which was filmed in the historic Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg, NJ. The dark setting complements the overall mood of the song, featuring eye-catching visuals of the band members’ dynamic performance. It was directed by Dale Resteghini of Raging Nation Films and edited by George Lambriodes of LuxAngeles/Studios.





To celebrate the new single, Plush has a limited edition “Left Behind” bundle, which features a signed CD single and an exclusive t-shirt. This item is currently available for pre-order and will start shipping in June 2023. 





Plush is set to tour with The Warning and Holy Wars this spring. The tour kicks off on April 30th at the House Of Blues in San Diego, CA, and ends on May 23rd at the Theatre Of Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets and venue information, visit PlushRocks.net.