In the new video below from AXS TV, Sammy Hagar jams with Neal Schon of Journey at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California. Then the two catch up on the old days and discuss all things music.





Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of Neal Schon's Journey Through Time, a live concert recorded on February 9, 2018 at The Independent In San Francisco, CA, on May 19.




This is the show where Neal Schon, founding member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducted band Journey, first debuted Journey Through Time along with two-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and former Journey and Santana bandmate, Gregg Rolie. Joining Schon and Rolie were current Journey member Deen Castronovo on vocals and drums, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) on bass, and John Varn on keyboards and vocals.





Performing to a sold out crowd for a benefit show to raise money for victims of the fires that had ravaged the North Bay area of the San Francisco region in October 2017, the band played songs spanning Journey’s entire catalog, largely focusing on the band’s '70s repertoire, including the band's first three albums, Journey, Look Into The Future, and Next. Watch a performance of the classic Journey track "Just The Same Way" below.


Multi-Grammy nominated Schon founded Journey in 1972 and remains the sole consistent member, having participated in every album and tour to date. Before founding Journey, Schon was also a member of Santana and has performed with a variety of other acts including Bad English, Hardline, and HSAS and with Jan Hammer and Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free).


He has released 10 solo albums over the course of his career as well, with his guitar style being described as soulful and melodic and admired by such fellow legends as Eric Clapton and Prince. Journey’s worldwide sales have reached over 100 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. Chart-topping hits such as “Don’t Stop Believin­’,” “Open Arms", “Lights", “Faithfully", and “When You Love A Woman” are regarded as some of the defining songs of the rock n' roll musical canon.


Pre-order Journey Through Time here.





Journey Through Time tracklisting:


"I’m Gonna Leave You"
"Look Into The Future"
"Kohoutek"
"Daydream"
"La Do La"
"Line Of Fire"
"Walk’s Like A Lady"
"Feelin’ That Way"
"Anytime"
"Lights"
"Still They Ride"
"Separate Ways"
"Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’"
"Wheel In The Sky"
"Patiently" (Medley)
"Trial By Fire" (Medley)
"Stay Awhile" (Medley)
"Mystery Mountain"
"Of A Lifetime"
"Just The Same Way"
"Lovin’ You Is Easy"
"Lady Luck"
"You’re On Your Own"
"Hustler"
"Nickle And Dime"
"People"
"Mother Father"
"Any Way You Want It"
"Don’t Stop Believin’"
"Black Magic Woman"
"Oye Como Va"


"Just The Same Way" video:





"Lights" video:





Lineup:


Neal Schon - Guitar
Gregg Rolie - Keyboards, Vocals
Marco Mendoza - Bass
Deen Castronovo - Drums, Vocals
John Varn - Keyboards, Vocals

A Tale Of Pentacles, the debut full-length album by Atheist Alien, is now available via Laser Yoga Records. Order your copy here, and find a full album audio stream below.


Born from the cold ashes of a thousand dead gods. Atheist Alien is epic spoken word poetry in the tradition of the Iliad, the Mahabharata and
Edgar Allan Poe, fused with the dark unrelenting brutality of doom metal. Album features former Candlemass vocalist, Robert Lowe, on the track, "Stone Tape Theory".


The album was produced by Paul Dinenthal Taylor and Brian Horustopheles Labrecque.







Tracklisting:


"A Tale of Pentacles"
"Forced Lava"
"Nightmare Fuel"
"Purification Sermon"
"Satanic Panic"
"Stone Tape Theory"
"Testimony Of Those Who Hate You"
"The Serpent And The Master"
"White Deceivers"


A Tale of Pentacles by Atheist Alien


Lineup:


Dinenthal - all synthesizers
Horustopheles - vocals
Robert Lowe - vocals on "Stone Tape Theory"
Nita Morrígan - duet vocals on "Testimony Of Those Who Hate Uou"
Simon Skrlec - drums

KILL DEVIL HILL's lyric video for the band's second single in nearly a decade, "You Can't Kill Me California", can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming third album, which will be made available later in the year via the Ohio-based Legend Recordings. The label, which was founded by artist manager Chris Bianchi, has partnered with Ingrooves/Universal to release the LP worldwide.

"You Can't Kill Me California" follows the release of "Blood In The Water", which arrived in February.

KILL DEVIL HILL was established in 2011 by former BLACK SABBATH and DIO drummer Vinny Appice and PANTERA bassist Rex Brown. After going through a few member changes, KILL DEVIL HILL's present lineup consists of Johnny Kelly (TYPE O NEGATIVE) on drums, Mark Zavon on guitar, Dewey Bragg on vocals and Matt Snell (ex-FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) on bass.

Zavon commented: "It's been a while since our last release, but we've been working hard writing and recording songs for this third record for a long time behind the scenes, and are really looking forward to sharing the finished product with our fans. We are proud to have partnered with Chris Bianchi and Legend Recordings for this release and are looking forward to working with them and Ingrooves to bring these songs to our fans worldwide. It's definitely some of our strongest material, and I can't wait to get out in front of an audience and play it live."

2023 will see KILL DEVIL HILL hit the road for select festival appearances and additional tour dates.

Shortly after he left KILL DEVIL HILL in early 2014, Vinny said that the band's inability to gain significant traction with its music was a major factor in his decision. However, more recently, Vinny has suggested that he exited the group because he "couldn't deal with" the fact that some of his bandmates were consistently tardy for KILL DEVIL HILL activities by an hour and a half or even longer.

Asked to respond to Appice's comments and address the fact that the drummer's explanation for why he left the band appears to have evolved over time, Mark told "J-Bunny's Music Hub": "Well, both [of his stated reasons] are true. And he's right. And there was [tardiness]. Dewey, our singer, at the time, was kind of going through some hard times and some personal difficulties, and he did have a hard time showing up sometimes. And even when we were on tour, he was — I don't know, man — just having a little bit of trouble. He's a totally changed man now, and now he's the first guy, anywhere we go, he's the one telling us, 'Hey, man, we're gonna be late for soundcheck.' But in those days, yeah, it was a little harder to wrangle him. So Vinny was right. And Vinny, he doesn't really put up with that. He's a name guy — he's got a history and a reputation. He's a pro. He's a star. So you can't blame the guy for that. I certainly didn't. I was the first one there [for rehearsals and live shows], 'cause I was stoked to play with those guys. Are you kidding me? Vinny Appice and Rex Brown in a room, and I get to play guitar?"

He continued: "So, anyway, I wish it could have kept going, but sometimes things don't work out, and everything happens for a reason. So I try not to question it. We've got great guys in the band now, and everything happens for a reason. So I'm looking forward to putting out this new record and people hearing what we can do without those guys in the band."

Vinny, who had previously played with BLACK SABBATH, DIO and HEAVEN & HELL, left KILL DEVIL HILL in March 2014.

KILL DEVIL HILL released its sophomore album, "Revolution Rise", in October 2013 via Century Media Records.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN's song "Chop Suey!" recently crossed the threshold of one billion streams on Spotify. It is the first SYSTEM OF A DOWN track to reach the milestone.

The Spotify accomplishment comes a little over two years after the music video for "Chop Suey!" surpassed one billion views on YouTube.

"Chop Suey!" was the first single from SYSTEM OF A DOWN's second album, "Toxicity". The single was released in August 2001 and earned the band its first Grammy nomination in 2002 for "Best Metal Performance."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian stated about "Chop Suey!": "The song is about how we are regarded differently depending on how we pass. Everyone deserves to die. Like, if I were now to die from drug abuse, they might say I deserved it because I abused dangerous drugs. Hence the line, 'I cry when angels deserve to die.'"

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

In 2018, Malakian publicly accused singer Serj Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only bandmember to speak to the press.
Thank you for waking up with #ChopSuey! 1 Billion times on @Spotify. pic.twitter.com/WgYOFRBPaQ

— System Of A Down (@systemofadown) April 20, 2023

GUNS N' ROSES and AC/DC have landed on Billboard Boxscore's updated list of "Top 10 Tours Of All Time".

According to Billboard Boxscore, which has charted the biggest tours in the world over nearly four decades, Elton John holds the record for the highest-grossing tour of all time with the "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, now at $818 million after a brief leg of Australian shows.

Coming in at No. 4 is GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime…" tour, which ran from 2016 to 2019 and grossed $584 million with an attendance of 5.4 million over the course of 158 shows.

AC/DC made the list at No. 9, with a gross of $442 million for the "Black Ice" world tour, which took place between 2008 and 2010 and sold 2.8 million tickets over 107 concerts.

Launched in April 2016, "Not in This Lifetime…" featured GUNS N' ROSES' classic-lineup members Slash, Duff McKagan and singer Axl Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

About 70 people traveled with the "Not In This Lifetime" show in addition to the truck drivers; that number went upwards of five hundred, including the local workers, by show date once catering, security, etc. were factored in, according to the GN'R tour's production manager, Dale "Opie" Skjerseth.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

Back in 2010, Billboard magazine reported that "Black Ice" tapped into a demand for AC/DC, resulting from the band's eight-year absence from touring, and took its place as one of the band's most successful tours.

As previously reported, AC/DC will perform at the 2023 edition of the Power Trip festival, set to take place Friday, October 6 to Sunday, October 8 at the Empire Polo Club In Indio, California.

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

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

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

The guitar Eddie Van Halen used in the music video for VAN HALEN's "Hot For Teacher" sold for $3,932,00 during an auction at Sotheby's.

The custom-made Kramer axe had a minimum bid of $1.8 million, and was previously valued at between two and three million dollars.

According to Sotheby's, stage-used and -filmed guitar was custom made by Paul Unkert of Kramer Guitars for Eddie Van Halen, including important innovations customized for Eddie's evolving guitar technique. It served as one of Eddie Van Halen's primary guitars in 1983 and 1984. The guitar was gifted by Eddie Van Halen to the band's retiring drum tech Gregg Emerson around 1990. Emerson subsequently gave the guitar to his nephew, who sold the guitar to Neal's Music in Huntington Beach, California. Neal's Music then sold the instrument to its current owner.

The guitar comes with a letter of provenance by Unkert, a signed photograph from Eddie Van Halen, its original case with tour and Warner Brothers tags, and the strait jacket and white gloves worn by Van Halen in the video.

Unkert's accompanying letter details the guitar's history: "The 'Hot For Teacher' Van Halen [guitar] was built by me at the Kramer Green Grove Road Plant in Neptune, NJ around 1982-1985/ #CO176. Look for 'Unk' stamps on Neck and Body. It was my last project for Ed and Kramer."

"Hot For Teacher" appeared on VAN HALEN's album "1984". The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) objected to the song after its original release, calling for it to be pulled from both the radio and television, due to the track's sexually suggestive lyrics referring to sex with a teacher, and a female teacher stripping in the video, among other issues.

In 2009, "Hot For Teacher" was named the 36th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

The "Hot For Teacher" video was filmed at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, California. Because the school had been shut down due to insufficient funds at the time the video was recorded, VAN HALEN not only paid to rent the school for four days of filming but they also contributed money to the city to help get it reopened.

ENVY OF NONE, the new band from Alex Lifeson (RUSH),Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH),Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, will release a new EP, "That Was Then, This Is Now", on June 9 via Kscope.

The all-star lineup continues its exponential growth of its trippy, edgy atmospheric sound that took the world by surprise. The new EP is made up of very adventurous tracks that consist of remixes of "Dumkoptf" and "Dog's Life" alongside "Lethe River" and "You'll Be Sorry", only previously released on the deluxe edition of their debut record.

Following these, the EP culminates with a newly recorded track "That Was Then". The song undulates with progressive dexterity and is a perfect example of the unbound writing ability this incredible band showcase.

All tracks were written, arranged, recorded and produced by ENVY OF NONE.

Curran comments: "Very happy to say that chapter 2 for ENVY OF NONE has officially started. We have a brand new song called 'That Was Then, This Is Now' which marks the first new track we've recorded since our debut album release almost a year ago."

He continues: "The new EP has that song sandwiched between some really trippy remixes that we had some serious fun creating. We're also looking forward to sharing all of these songs in 360 surround sound to take it one step further. Stay tuned for more cool news around the corner for EON…"

"That Was Then, This Is Now" remains in canon with the band’s sound of their eponymous debut whilst also pushing the boundaries and is a fantastic prologue to the next chapter of ENVY OF NONE's story as the band have been in the studio creating new music and remixes.

"That Was Then, This Is Now" track listing:

01. Lethe River
02. You’ll Be Sorry
03. Dog’s Life (Remix)
04. Dumb (Der Dummkopf Remix)
05. That Was Then

Alongside this vinyl release, ENVY OF NONE is a part of this year's Record Store Day with a new reissue of the band's self-titled album available as a picture disc on April 22.

Lifeson is no stranger to the concept of evolution. As a founding member of RUSH, he's been able to explore more musical ground than just about any other guitar player out there — taking rock to new progressive heights throughout the decades and always in the most wildly inventive of ways. His influence can be heard on countless bands around the world, from indie shoegaze and math rock to heavy metal and beyond. Over the last few years, Lifeson has been focusing on a new project that, no matter how well-acquainted you are with his discography, will undoubtedly shatter all seeds of expectation and blow the mind. That project is ENVY OF NONE.

"Envy Of None"'s 11 tracks — which ricochet between various shades of alternative, experimental and synth rock — throw surprises at every turn, twisting dark melodies against contemporary pop hooks. Lifeson himself is proudly aware of how little of it crosses over with the band that made him famous.

However, it was only when Wynne became involved that this truly started to feel like a band destined to go somewhere. Her haunting melodies and soul-baring intensity is — by the admission of her own bandmates — what truly brought this music to life. All things considered; she is a star in the making.

"Maiah became my muse," says Lifeson. "She was able to bring this whole new ethereal thing through her sense of melody on tracks like 'Liar' and 'Look Inside'. After hearing her vocals on 'Never Said I Love You', I felt so excited. I've never had that kind of inspiration working with another musician. When we say she's special, it's because she's really fucking special."

The album closer, "Western Sunset", was penned by Lifeson in tribute to his dear friend Neil Peart. It's a highly emotive piece of music to honor a man deeply missed by the rock community at large, and even more so by those who were lucky enough to know him.

"I visited Neil when he was ill," says Lifeson. "I was on his balcony watching the sunset and found inspiration. There's a finality about a sunset that kinda stayed with me throughout the whole process. It had meaning. It was the perfect mood to decompress after all these different textures… a nice way to close the book."

ENVY OF NONE is:

* Alf Annibalini - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
* Andy Curran - Bass Guitar, Synthesized Bass, Programming, Guitar, Background Vocals, Stylophone
* Alex Lifeson - Guitar, Mandola, Banjo, Programming
* Maiah Wynne - Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Keyboards

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley has been discharged from hospital after undergoing a quadruple bypass surgery following his recent heart attack.

A heart bypass surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, is used to improve blood flow to the heart. A surgeon uses blood vessels taken from another area of the body to bypass the damaged arteries.

The term quadruple bypass refers to the number of coronary arteries bypassed in the procedure. In other words, a quadruple bypass means four coronary arteries are bypassed.

Blaze suffered a heart attack at his home on March 25 and was rushed to the hospital. As a result of the health setback, the singer's shows for March and April were postponed.

Earlier today (Wednesday, April 19),Mark Appleton and Christopher Appleton, who handle the management and concert bookings, for Blaze's solo band, released the following statement via social media: "As with our previous update, we are delighted to say that Blaze's surgery seems to have been a success & we're really happy to report that he is now released from hospital & is at home to continue his recovery. Your messages, cards, merch purchases & donations are appreciated more than you may ever realise. As & when Blaze gets stronger he will have further updates & messages for you."

The 59-year-old Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort, and a follow-up LP, 2022's "Genius".

Blaze's latest studio album, "War Within Me", came out in April 2021. The LP was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze's studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton's studio in Greater Manchester.

Last month, Blaze told Metal Planet Music 's Gary Spiller about some fans' initial reluctance to embrace his era of MAIDEN: "I think that the girlfriend or partner analogy is the best. It's when your girlfriend or boyfriend leaves you for someone, and they are perhaps slimmer with more hair, more interesting and better looking, it doesn't feel good. And you lose your favorite singer from your favorite band, and I think that's awkward as well.

"There's a certain percentage of fans from that era, I'm their first MAIDEN singer, and I always will be, and they'll always have that affection for me," he continued. "But there's another group of fans who go, 'My favorite singer left my favorite band. I don't want to look at the replacement.' … And what is good is that after so many years and the 'Senjutsu' album coming out, people have good back and they've looked at the Blaze Bayley era of [1996's 'best-of' album] 'Best Of The Beast' and 'Sign Of The Cross', 'The X Factor', they've done that, and they've come back with a different look. And then they check out what I'm doing now.

"Since [leaving] MAIDEN, I've made 11 studio albums of my own. It's over 25 years ago [that I joined MAIDEN]; it's nearly 30 years now. It's just five years [that I was with MAIDEN]. With WOLFSBANE, we're back together, and we're together longer than I was in IRON MAIDEN.

"It's nice that it's so well thought of and people are still interested," Blaze added. "I've learned a lot. The experiences that I had have affected me and I've learned. And if you listen to my 'War Within Me' album, my new album, you can tell the IRON MAIDEN influence on that; you can absolutely tell. I'm not ashamed of it. I'm, like, well, this is what I enjoyed and learned in MAIDEN, and you'll hear parts of that and hints of that in the 'War Within Me' album. You'll also hear the development of me as an artist, going beyond that.

"So it's nice that people are still interested in that brief part of the MAIDEN history that contains me. And a lot of people think very nicely of me. But there are still a lot of people that absolutely hate me."

Blaze went on to say that his era of MAIDEN still plays a big part in his live show, particularly as he nears the three-decade mark since he first joined the band.

"What's nice is that when I do my anniversary setlist, which a lot of festivals asked for, then I can play songs in my set from those two albums that MAIDEN have never played and will never play," he explained. "And they are my songs, personal to me. So that's really, really cool. So if you did get into those albums and you like those albums, then you'll come and see me and go, 'Oh, actually, I've never heard'Como Estais Amigos' live.' So it's a really cool thing.

"Last year, we got a lot of really wonderful German festivals, and we played the anniversary setlist. And then afterwards, on my own tour, people came that saw me on that anniversary setlist and the festivals, they came and saw me do my Blaze Bayley concerts and really enjoyed it. And they got into 'War Within Me' album and my trilogy and a lot of things. So it's good, really.

"I'm very lucky to have actually had the top job in my field, to have attained the absolute top," Bayley added. "For me, I wanted to be a heavy metal singer, and by some quirk of faith, a lot of luck and a lot of help, then I managed to become the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN, which, for me, is the top job in the world for a heavy metal singer. And I got that job. So that's fantastic that I was able to get that. And I played huge venues all over the world and stadiums and theaters and everything."

HEALTH REPORT : 19th April 2023

As with our previous update, we are delighted to say that Blaze's surgery seems to have...

Posted by Official Blaze Bayley on Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Seattle’s Whythre has released a new single “Scorpions Of Sinai”. “Scorpions Of Sinai”, which comes from their third album Impregnate My Hate, is the fastest song on the album, a solid melodic death metal offering pumped full of textures and synth.


The band gives a nod to classic tale as a hint of what the song is about and explains:


“Go read the first short story in Roald Dahl’s ‘Switch Bitch’ and then read the lyrics to Scorpions. I can’t say much more without spoiling that experience. It’s a quick read, just go do it. This is our fastest song by far and always leaves Steve sweatin’! There’s a lot of underlying repetition in this song, which was a first for us, honestly the track is heavily inspired by underground techno vibes.”




Whythre was officially started in 2010 by Petrey and remained a solo project until 2012 when he met an opera-trained singer named Jeran Michaels, the first album was released and slowly a full lineup began to form. They have since formed into an impressive force of symphonic riffs and growls.


With this album, the band presents a simmering tension that’s in between chill and balls to the wall. They hope that listeners find some extra ‘medium’ moments here and there that tastefully strike the balance. There is a wide variety of moods present on each track, it’s packed with heavy grooves, blistering riffs and huge symphonic waves.


Shon Petrey and Adam Chambers write the songs for Whythre. When inspiration hits, they bounce ideas off each other - sometimes they collaborate from the beginning, sometimes one of them fleshes out an idea to explore. Each song has its own unique vibe and story behind it.


Whythre’s “Scorpions Of Sinai” has a groove guaranteed to move any circle pit and a message meant for heretics, by heretics.


Impregnate My Hate is being released on May 26, 2023 via High Point Records and is available for preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Scorchbreath”
“Impregnate My Hate”
“Can’t Escape This”
“Scorpions Of Sinai”
“C Section S1lurpee”
“Death Frontier”
“Tantric Aspects Of The Cross”
“Immanence”
“Run It Red”


"Scorpions Of Sinai":





“Scorchbreath” video:





(Photo: Carolina Chambers)

Greek black metal legends, Rotting Christ, performed at at The Gramercy Theatre in New York, NY on March 10 as part of their Under Our Black Cult tour. The band have released a recap video, directed by Guilherme Henriques. Watch below:





In late 2022, Rotting Christ dropped a surprise EP, The Apocryphal Spells Vol. I, via Century Media Records. This first volume of songs is a collection of studio and live bonus tracks that were previously only available on select physical products; now, fans can stream these rarities for the first time online here.




Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitars) commented: "My dear friends, I can proudly announce a compilation of rare Rotting Christ tracks that have never been released on digital platforms before. We have now the opportunity to release them via the first part of a compilation: The Apocryphal Spells. Thanks for your attention, and I hope you will enjoy them, as we also did, recording them back in the days. Spirit Up!"





The Apocryphal Spells Vol. I tracklisting:


"Astral Embodiment"
"Moonlight"
"Phobia"
"Tormentor" (Kreator cover)
"Flag Of Hate/Pleasure to Kill" (Kreator cover)


Rotting Christ was founded by Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitars) and his brother Themis Tolis (drums) in 1987. Starting out as death/grind, the Greeks embarked on a darker musical journey by the time their debut full-length, Thy Mighty Contract (1993), was released.


On the following seven albums [spanning a ten-year period from Non Serviam (1994) to Sanctus Diavolos (2004)], Rotting Christ steadily defined their own distinct style by experimenting with elements from death, heavy, and gothic metal without betraying their black roots. At the same time, the band went from underground heroes to headliner status.


With their highly acclaimed ninth album, Theogonia (2007), the Greek stalwarts added an unmistakable native element to their sound, which has remained with them as a signature trademark ever since.

Singer Adam Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama Wednesday night (April 19).

Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

Last July, Gontier said that a reunion with his former bandmates was "likely" to happen "down the road at some point."

The 44-year-old Canadian-born musician made his comments just a couple of weeks after he and two members of the band's current lineup, bassist Brad Walst and his younger brother, vocalist Matt Walst, were inducted into the Norwood District High School Hall Of Honor in Norwood, Ontario.

Asked in an interview with Rock Feed if he would be open to working with THREE DAYS GRACE again now that he appears to be on good terms with his former bandmates, Gontier said: "You know what? Yeah. I mean, for sure. We've all grown up. It's been a while. There's no hard feelings or anything like that. We're all in touch now and we talk and text and stuff.

"We haven't really talked about doing anything — not yet anyway — but I feel like something like that is most likely down the road at some point," he added.

When interviewer Brian Storm noted that Adam's reunion with THREE DAYS GRACE would be a "big" deal, Gontier said, "And it would be a lot of fun." Storm then reiterated that the reunion would be "very big," to which Adam said: "Probably would be. You never know, man. We haven't really talked about it. But, yeah, I guess we'll see."

Earlier in July, Brad Walst spoke about reconnecting with Gontier at the Norwood District High School event in an interview with Tommy Carroll of the 97.9 WGRD radio station. He said: "It's funny 'cause the high school's been calling us for years. And, obviously, we've all had kind of different schedules, and Adam's been doing his thing and we've been doing our thing. And until recently, to be honest, we hadn't really spoken that much — we'd text and stuff. But Adam's moved back to the area, and he's got a great family and a great wife. And we've all kind of been chatting and hanging out. Yeah, I called him and just said, 'They want the three of us' — they want Matt, Adam and myself. And everyone agreed, and it was, like, 'Okay, let's do this.' So it was pretty cool to see [our] high school, where you grew up… It's nice to be acknowledged."

He continued: "It's funny, 'cause I texted Adam, 'You made the Hall Of Fame.' He's, like, 'Yup. Straight-B student.' [Laughs] But I think just having us together in that room was way more powerful, for sure. So it was a pretty cool feeling."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

In a 2007 interview with The Oklahoman, Gontier said that he met some of his first bandmates while they were freshmen at Norwood District High School.

"I ended up hooking up with Brad because we had the same love of music," Gontier said. "He didn't play anything at the time. I suggested him getting a bass, and he did."

Gontier said that Canadian bands, including THE TRAGICALLY HIP and OUR LADY PEACE were early influences, along with the Seattle rock scene, particularly the group SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

THREE DAYS GRACE's latest album, "Explosions", was released last May via RCA Records.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Three Days Grace (@threedaysgraceofficial)

OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

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

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

Ellsworth discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'd love to see it. When it comes around here, I'm gonna go. I think it's just a great thing. The original band itself was just so groundbreaking with regard to how they morphed into that 'Reinventing The Steel' vibe. [From] 'Cowboys From Hell' on, it was just amazing. I think if anything deserves to be celebrated, especially with original members there — at least 50 percent of them, obviously — this is the project or the event that needs to be celebrated and seen."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Releasing the re-imagined full-length Trail Of Souls: Samsara in July 2022, Seattle and Los Angeles-based heavy metal four-piece RivetSkull are sharing a new lyric video for the track “Mystified”. The song is about dealing with the fears of stepping out of your comfort zone and considering that sometimes it is easier to simply take solace by getting high and letting your mind wander to another place. A journey of finding your way out of the dark and into the light.


Watch and listen to "Mystified" via its lyric video premiere on BraveWords!







In addition to unveiling their new lyric video, RivetSkull recently launched a merch line called Zero Hate where proceeds from sales will be donated to a non-profit called Metal for Good, which uses the positive values of rock, metal, and other alternative subcultures to make a positive difference in communities. More information can be found at metalforgood.org.


The band comments on Zero Hate Merch.


"We like to make a difference and heavy metal has always been a refuge, RivetSkull is committed to working toward a world of #ZEROHATE. 100% of the profits from RivetSkull's ZERO HATE merch line will be donated to Metal for Good to help support programs that change lives through the collective power and support of the heavy metal community."


Rivetskull's latest full-length Trail Of Souls: Samsara is a complete re-recording of their self-published 2020 album Trail Of Souls. After self-recording and releasing the debut album during the global pandemic, the band revisited their songs with professional production to capture the massive sound that fans have come to expect from their live shows.


The band comments on re-recording and re-releasing the album:


"Our current sound is a petri dish of our combined experiences up until now: the things we’ve listened to, the things we’ve played… Trail Of Souls: Samsara is a re-recording of our self-recorded/ self-produced 2020 album Trail Of Souls. This time around, we recorded it organically, all together in one room at London Bridge Studio. A really good studio produces a really good sound: it’s either tuned that way professionally or it’s evolved that way through history. You work differently in that type of environment, it elevates the performance…It’s like if a doctor is doing surgery in their living room, they’re not going to perform as well.”





Trail Of Souls: Samsara has an epic, yet nostalgic feel. Lyrically, vocalist Chad McMurray writes from the heart about things people can relate to, nothing is contrived. RivetSkull isn’t trying to write a certain kind of song and they’re not trying to portray a certain image. They’re not trying to be a tough, brutal band. They’re just normal guys who like metal, much like it was in the 70s - 80s. “I don’t know, maybe we need to bring cod pieces back?” jokes McMurray.


Recorded at London Bridge Studio (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Queensrÿche) and produced by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Deftones, Seether), “Trail of Souls: Samsara” promises much more than a sonic retouch of the original. The reworked collection features newncover artwork and a previously unreleased recording of a cover of Aerosmith’s “King And Queens.”


RivetSkull keeps it classic and is recommended for fans of Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and Armored Saint.


Stream the album on digital platforms here.


(Photo: Niffer Calderwood)

Iberian black/death metal practitioners, Noctem, performed "A Cruce Salas" from during their set at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Watch professionally-filmed footage below.


Video of the band performing "The Black Consecration" is also available.










The band’s new full-length, Credo Certe Ne Cras, was released last October via MNRK Heavy. Find order options here.





Credo Certe Ne Cras trackisting:


"I Am Alpha"
"Sovereign Providence"
"Sanctum Of Anguish"
"Credo Certe Ne Cras"
"Homilia Of Punishment"
"The Pale Moon Rite"
"The Tolling Of The Nine Bells"
"Chalice Of Turpitude"
"Ceremonial Miasma"
"We Are Omega"


"Credo Certe Ne Cras" video:





"We Are Omega" video:





Noctem:


Beleth - vocals
Varu - bass
Voor - drums
Moss - guitars
Tobal - guitars

In a new interview with music writer Joel Gausten, Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein discusses how his vegan lifestyle and eating habits help him maintain good health and a positive attitude on the road. An excerpt from the story appears below:

Doyle credits his vegan diet for helping him rise above social anxiety and maintain a better outlook on life.  
 
“It makes me happy; it puts you in a good mood and makes you positive. I went to this place that used to sell the greatest fucking vegan meatball sandwich on the planet…I go in, and I had on a cut-off t-shirt like I always do. There were these two little 14-year-old girls; they turned to me while I was waiting in line (and asked), ‘Are you vegan?’ I said, ‘Yeah! It makes you happy, don’t it?’ They were like, ‘Yeeeaaaah!’ (laughs) It was so fuckin’ funny.”

As veganism continues to gain traction in the music industry (with plenty of interviews with other vegan musicians already in the works for this website), Doyle insists there’s nothing esoteric or unattainable about it.  

"The food isn’t made out of unicorn shit. It’s just food, and you can buy it anywhere. We buy it at fuckin’ Walmart.

Considering that the guy’s in a very public profession, how does he avoid catching an illness when dealing with countless people on a daily basis – especially during the meet-and-greets he offers after shows?

“I don’t let them touch me. ‘Oh, can I have a hug?’ Nope. They put their hand on me (and ask), ‘Is this okay?’ Nope. Then, they get offended. I don’t shake hands no more. Some dick tried to crush my hand with his overzealous fucking ‘I’m a tough guy’ handshake. I can break everybody’s hand who comes up there. Why would I do that? I hate that shit. So, now, it’s just a fist bump or go fuck yourself.”

The complete interview is available at this location.

 

In the clip below, Jeremy Lafrentz at Backstage Entertainment interviews Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein and Alex Story after their show at The Lookout Lounge in Omaha, NE, on October 29th, 2018. They discuss Doyle's latest album, As We Die, playing live shows and dealing with mobile phone-wielding fans, and being touched while performing.

 

 

 

 

Progressive rock trio, Black Orchid Empire, have released a lyric video for "Scarlet Haze", the latest single from the band's new full-length, Tempus Veritas, out now via Season Of Mist.





Regarding the album, the Black Orchid Empire explains: "Interwoven with the fabric of our history as a species are countless opportunities for stories. Little pieces of imagined narrative, set within events we all collectively know as historical, that seek to explore what it means to be human - this is the idea behind Tempus Veritas. Whereas Semaphore looked to the future, this record reinvents the past, wondering what it was like to be inside the mind of a person living through times of consequence. Musically, we continue to seek the boundary between the savagely technical and the undeniably beautiful and attempt to push it as far as possible. We poured our entire creative beings into making this album - we sincerely hope you enjoy it."




Order at the Season Of Mist webshop.


Cover art by Black Orchid Empire and Ines Hernandez.





Tracklisting:


“Tempus Veritas”
“Hydrogen”
“The Raven”
“Last Ronin”
“Scarlet Haze”
“Deny The Sun”
“Glory To The King”
“Summit”
“Weakness”
“Vesuvius”
“Latimer”


“Glory To The King” lyric video:





“Deny The Sun” video:

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal pioneers FORBIDDEN are reborn! FORBIDDEN's first and only European appearance this year will take place this August at Belgium's Alcatraz Metal Festival in August. The band is already laying the groundwork for some very exciting news and announcements, but right now they are focusing on Alcatraz and rehearsing to give Europe the very best performance possible.

FORBIDDEN's Craig Locicero states about the band's rebirth: "First off, I did NOT see this coming. When FORBIDDEN quietly disbanded the second time in 2012, I figured it was over. While I always apply the 'never say never' mantra to my life, Russ [Anderson, vocals] made it clear that he was completely finished with touring. My wingman and main dude from the conception of FORBIDDEN EVIL, Russ was my mentor and the guy who bought me beer when I was 15! I couldn't imagine FORBIDDEN without him, so I had little hope of a future with FORBIDDEN. Today Russ is happily retired and living the sober life. I have nothing but love for that and him. Everyone needs to respect his wishes like we do.

"So then ….. fast forward 11 years after our last show, Bay Area vocal talent Norman Skinner walks in to help us rehearse and sing a few thrash classics for the BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL set at Dynamo MetalFest 2022. WHAMMO! That's when it all happened by accident. Truly. Then it happens AGAIN when Norman sings 'Chalice Of Blood' onstage alongside WARBRINGER at the one Bay Area show of BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL. Holy fuck! We will go into detail thoroughly in the upcoming weeks. It's an amazing and organic progression story to tell.

"I now can announce that alongside my brothers Matt Camacho (bass) and Steve Smyth (guitar) we are officially introducing Norman Skinner (vocals) and Chris Kontos (drums) to the FORBIDDEN family. As far as Kontos goes, he's well known as one of the Bay's very best and most respected drummers. Chris's work in MACHINE HEAD and ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT alone are legendary. Historically he's sat behind the kit in with EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, and TESTAMENT to name few. I've been lucky enough to play music with Chris in the past and present as well most recently with punk legends THE BONELESS ONES. We work amazingly well together and have remained great friends for over 30 years. In a long line of amazing drummers… Bostaph, Jacobs, Hoglan, Hernandez and Horn… Kontos is the perfect fit for FORBIDDEN. Having 5 people all moving the same direction with enthusiasm and positivity. It's all I've ever wanted with FORBIDDEN. Making the seemingly impossible, possible.

"This is not a reunion, it's a rebirth."

Originally founded in 1985 as FORBIDDEN EVIL by Anderson, guitarists Locicero and Robb Flynn, basses John Tegio and drummer Jim Pittman, the quintet started playing house parties and Bay Area clubs such as the legendary Ruthie's Inn soon after. After a couple of lineup changes (Paul Bostaph on drums and Matt Camacho on bass) in '86, the band quickly rose through the ranks of Bay Area thrash to gain a massive following and worldwide notoriety. In 1986, the band added Glen Alvelais as the second guitarist. It was this lineup that cemented itself into the Bay Area scene and soon after recorded 1988 release "Forbidden Evil" for Combat Records, changing the band's name to simply FORBIDDEN. In May of '89 while on a European tour with SACRED REICH, FORBIDDEN made their first appearance at the legendary Dynamo Open Air in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It was here that FORBIDDEN made their European mark and recorded the "Raw Evil" EP. The band returned Stateside and replaced Alvelais with Tim Calvert. Calvert was a missing ingredient that brought the band closer together as a team. They continued to tour the U.S. first with EXODUS and then again with SACRED REICH with Calvert on second guitar. The band went on to release "Twisted Into Form" in 1990, "Distortion" in 1994 and "Green" in 1996. However, the band, having gone though many lineup changes, disbanded in 1997.

In 2008 Craig being inspired at a screening of the movie "Get Thrashed", called the other members of the band and suggested getting back on stage to see if they could reignite the FORBIDDEN machine. With Anderson, Locicero, Camacho back in the mix along with new additions Glen Alvelais and Gene Hoglan they played two sold-out DEATH ANGEL shows in San Francisco. Steve Smyth came into the mix in place of Alvelais and Mark Hernandez took Hoglan's place. The band then released "Omega Wave", the fifth in the catalog and went on a U.S. tour with OVERKILL. European festivals were next but afterwards Hernandez had to walk away due to personal reasons leading to a tour cancelation. Sasha Horn was the answer to fill the drummer's spot.

After playing "Bonded By Baloff" with EXODUS and one Bay Area show, FORBIDDEN embarked for Chile to play the Metal Fest in Santiago. It was on this flight back home that Russ informed the band that he couldn't tour anymore because of the physical toll it was taking on him. With that, the band dissolved once again for 11 years.

Fast forward to 2023. The once improbable and impossible happened. FORBIDDEN is reforming with new blood! Locicero, Camacho and Smyth remain from the "Omega Wave" lineup.

New vocalist Norman Skinner will take the elite position that belonged to Russ Anderson. Norman shocked everyone who witnessed his performance of "Chalice Of Blood" with Los Angeles thrashers WARBRINGER accompanying him as the band. It was undeniable to all in attendance. Norman grew up in the Bay Area. His first thrash metal show was seeing FORBIDDEN at the Omni. Russ would point to Norman at shows and call him "Little Russ" on the mic. It could ONLY be Norman Skinner that fronts the band.

Florida death metal legends Hellwitch have released the video for “Delegated Disruption” taken from the forthcoming album Annihilational Intercention scheduled for a digital release on June 2 and on CD, vinyl , cassette on June 30.


Originally formed in 1984, old school Florida death metal legends, Hellwitch, are back with their unique brand of highly energetic, incisive, thrashing death metal. The band has always sounded insanely catchy, always balancing technicality to a great measure, Hellwitch have drafted some genuine classic songs over the years and their new album is a culmination of all such works and experience.


Band leader Pat Ranieri comments about the artwork for Annihilational Intercention: "The cover of Annihilational Intercention is what is coming in the future of mankind on this wretched planet. The Judge is in the final stages of administering punishment to our race, eradicating every last being. Having biologically and supernaturally evolved to possess otherworldly powers, his psychic assault is manifested in spears of burning energy and levitational force. His apocalyptic "Horsemen" look on with hatred, aiding the cause. The poisoned, decimated world that surrounds tells the tale of man left to his own devices."




Artwork by Khaos Dictator Design.





Annihilational Intercention tracklisting:


"Sollipsistic Immortality"
"Delegated Disruption"
"Megalopalypytic Confine"
"Sorcerous Imminence" (instrumental)
"Hellwitch"
"Epochal Cessation"
"Anthropophagi"
"At Rest"
"Torture Chamber"
"Sweet Home Alabama" (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover, vinyl only bonus track)


"Delegated Disruption" video:








Hellwitch tour dates:


June
5 - Milestone Club - Charlotte, NC
6 - Powers BMX Shop - Richmond, VA
7 - The Kennel at West York Inn - York, PA
8 - The Fire - Philadelphia, PA
9 - Pie Shop - Washington, DC
10 - Lurking Class Skate Shop - Salisbury, MD
11 - Saint Vitus Bar - Brooklyn, NY


November
3-5 - Mass Destruction Fest at The Loft - Atlanta, GA


More dates to be added soon.


Hellwitch lineup:


Pat Ranieri - Guitars, Vocals
J.P. Brown - Guitars
Brian Wilson - Drums


(Photo - Roberto Badillo)

Berlin-based atmospheric post metal collective The Ocean will return with the follow-up to their critically acclaimed Phanerozoic double album— Holocene— on May 19. On this new record, The Ocean are presenting a gear shift toward the electronic world while reaching new depths of heaviness at the same time. Preorder at the Pelagic Records webstore.


This heaviness is palpable on the band's new single "Subatlantic,” which starts off with trip-hop beats and dark psychedelia and slowly gains momentum to eventually culminate in an unexpectedly heavy grand finale of the album.  Intricate and heavy guitar riffs are built over a propulsive rhythm section and when vocalist Rossetti eventually screams "prepare for departure," it has become clear that this is the closing of not just a record, but a series of paleontology-inspired albums that the band started 16 years ago with their seminal Precambrian LP in 2007.


Subatlantic's brilliant new music video, once again directed by Drew Storcks, continues right where the previous album track, "Parabiosis" left off. In the new video, the doctor-protagonist whose patients signed up for a de-aging program and ended up in their own personal purgatories (pictured in the previous video) is being chased by an anonymous masked figure through rainforest and across tropical beaches. The clip was filmed on tour in Puerto Rico after the band's recent North American tour with Katatonia, with band members acting in the clip.







On the first half of "Subatlantic," The Ocean's Massive Attack influence is quite obvious and makes more sense than listeners could have ever guessed within the context of this band. 


The Ocean's Peter Voigtmann mentions: “We're all huge fans of 'Mezzanine,' which is still one of the best-produced albums to date. It has aged incredibly well. And for me it is an immensely heavy album too, a different kind of heaviness but one that somehow connects logically with what we've been doing with The Ocean over the course of the past two albums.”


(Photo: Geoffrey Wallang)

Venice, California crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES have parted ways with drummer Brandon Pertzborn and have replaced him with Greyson Nekrutman.

Pertzborn announced his exit from SUICIDAL TENDENCIES on Tuesday (April 18),writing on his Facebook page: "For the past (almost) two years, I've been so unbelievably fortunate to play with the almighty SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Musically and personally, it's been some of the best times of my life. Every single person in the band/crew will be lifelong friends of mine and they have all filled my heart with joy these past couple years.

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

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

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

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

In a separate post, Greyson wrote: "It's an absolute honor to fill such an iconic drum throne. It wouldn't be possible without my brother Brandon Pertzborn and I can't thank him enough for passing down the torch. He is an incredible role model and I am so excited for everyone to find out what he has next!"

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES frontman Mike Muir also commented on the drummer switch, writing: "Being in SUICIDAL I've had the honor of being on stage and recording with some absolutely amazing musicians. Having Brandon Pertzborn on drums the last couple of years has been such a pleasure. ST has had so many incredible drummers and he just STepped up and killed it behind the kit. But away from the drums he was such an absolute joy to work with and be around. Always a smile, no situation every got him done, always up for every challenge. I will definitely miss touring with him, but I'm extremely happy for him as he goes off to a new challenge.

"With that said, I'd like to thank him publicly for being such a great person, besides being a beaST on drums. We'll definitely cross musical paths in the future, but more importantly I'm happy to have him as a friend.

"So, that leads us to Greyson Nekrutman.

"Awhile back my good friend and killer bass player Josh Paul and I were discussing some young musicians for a project and Greyson was brought up. It was easy to do a little research and be blown away by his drum playing. Massively impressive. But awhile back I had the opportunity to talk to him for awhile on the phone and was even more impressed by him as a person and his takes on music and life. I already knew what an insanely talented drummer he was. But usually behind incredible talent is a hell of a lot of hard work, determination and conviction.

"SUICIDAL TENDENCIES is super excited to introduce Greyson as our new drummer. Starting next month at Welcome To Rockville, Greyson will be 'driving the bus' and we're all stoked to head on the ride together.

"We'll have more info on Greyson, ST and our plans going forward, but for now, please give a thank you to Brandon and a big ST welcome to Greyson!"

The 20-year-old Nekrutman is one of the most explosive young players in the drumming world, having garnered a legion of fans since bursting on to the international music scene just a few short years ago.

Greyson is featured on ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist William Duvall's "11.12.21 Live-In-Studio Nashville" CD, which came out last June. Nekrutman has also performed or recorded with Bakithi Kumalo, Darren Criss, Drumeo, Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals and has been featured in articles by Rolling Stone, Rhythm, Rhythm And Drum (Japan) and Sweetwater Music.

Photo courtesy of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES

For the past (almost) two years, I've been so unbelievably fortunate to play with the almighty Suicidal Tendencies....

Posted by Brandon Pertzborn on Tuesday, April 18, 2023

My next chapter. @suicidaltendencies

It’s an absolute honor to fill such an iconic drum throne. It wouldn’t be...

Posted by Greyson Nekrutman on Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Saturday night in Philadelphia headlining the Decibel Metal Fest was an absolute blast!
Lots of great times and...

Posted by Suicidal Tendencies on Wednesday, April 19, 2023

ANTHRAX has reportedly canceled all of its previously announced European festival appearances for this summer.

According to a post on the social media of Germany's Wacken Open Air, where ANTHRAX was scheduled to perform in early August, ANTHRAX scrapped the shows "due to logistics." Slovenia's MetalDays, Czech Republic's Brutal Assault and Belgium's Alcatraz festivals also confirmed ANTHRAX's cancelations.

ANTHRAX previously called off shows in continental Europe as part of its fall 2022 touring activities, citing "ongoing logistical issues" and "costs that are out of our control." The pioneering thrash metal band had been due to play numerous shows across Europe following their run of dates in the United Kingdom, which still took place between September 27, 2022 and October 8, 2022.

In an interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, bassist Frank Bello elaborated on ANTHRAX's decision to scrap the European gigs and forge ahead with only the United Kingdom dates. Asked if it was "a Brexit thing" that caused the cancelations, Bello responded: "It's a human thing at this point, my God. I mean, it's a budgetary thing.

"When we originally planned everything, as we do — ANTHRAX has been in the U.K. and Europe forever, we have toured there; we have a great big fanbase there, and we love playing for them — we did a budget, as we do, the year before and before we put the shows on sale. After COVID, when everything went crazy, money-wise, financially it wasn't feasible to do it anymore," he explained. "When I saw the numbers, they were literally triple — triple to what they originally started at. We would be coming home at such a loss — you don't mind a little bit of a loss just to play to the fans — but such a loss, we would have been really bad off for a while. So it didn't make sense. When [we] looked at it, we said, 'All right. There's better times ahead.' And that's the way to look at it now. Look, heating costs and everybody's gotta put food on the table. I get it right now. So it's just a really hard time for everybody.

"I know we're gonna be back, and with a vengeance," Frank added. "So it's gonna be a lot of fun the next time around. I look forward to playing to all U.K. and Europe. We did a great U.K. run. I felt it was a little short, even though we did a lot of places. But I wanna come back and just play the way we should be playing."

Prior to scrapping the European shows, ANTHRAX had just wrapped a U.S. tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. HATEBREED served as special guests.

When the European cancelation was first announced on social media, one fan in the comments section suggested that the cancelation could have been a result of low ticket sales. ANTHRAX replied: "Rest assured, there were zero issues with sales. Check out the news over there for a few minutes. We absolutely adore the European fans and love playing there and are very sad not to come. It doesn't work 'example' when tour buses double and triple in cost."

Bello previously discussed the decision to call off the European dates in September 2022 in an interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET. At the time, he said: "When was the last time we canceled a European tour? We've never done it. The god's honest truth: Everything budgeting-wise is insane right now. We budgeted it last year and came back to this year with the gas lines and all the shit that's going on. It was three times the budget. We would have gone into a bad deficit, horrible. And the promoters are saying, 'It doesn't make sense for you guys to do it.' The buses, just life in general. It's horrible. We were able to salvage the U.K. But people know us. They know we'll be back. We love it there. I can't wait to go back. It's just a bummer that life is in the way of metal. [Laughs] What's going on in the world is in the way of metal and making people feel good with our music.

"We've been away," he continued. "We just did the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and HATEBREED tour and we got the taste back. We were looking forward to the next leg, the U.K., then right into Europe. We're used to touring a few months at a time. Then our manager comes, 'We can't do this with the accounting.' It's like, 'What? How did this happen?' Then you read the papers and you understand. It's terrible."

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", came out in February 2016 via Nuclear Blast.

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by guitarist Scott 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".

We sadly must announce today that the mighty Anthrax won’t make it to Europe and hence also not to the Holy Ground due...

Posted by Wacken Open Air on Wednesday, April 19, 2023

🇬🇧 ANTHRAX are unfortunately cancelling their entire summer European tour❗️
It will be difficult to find an suitable...

Posted by Brutal Assault on Wednesday, April 19, 2023

All European dates of ANTHRAX's summer tour have been cancelled.
We will do our best to fill their position as soon as...

Posted by MetalDays on Wednesday, April 19, 2023

🤘 FORBIDDEN TO PLAY AT #AOA23 🤘

We regret to inform you that Anthrax have just announced the cancellation of their...

Posted by ALCATRAZ MUSIC on Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Former DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse has reformed his STEVE MORSE BAND for a series of live appearances in April and May.

Reunited and performing together for the first time in over 10 years, the STEVE MORSE BAND returns with a long-awaited live set including fan favorites from the band's illustrious career. Featuring a trio of some of the world's most notable instrumentalists, this evening with the legendary act promises to be a must-see event in music history and a true testament to their status as the original gold standard in rock fusion.

The night brings together three icons, beginning with the band's namesake and Guitar Player Hall Of Famer Steve Morse, songwriter and bandleader of THE DIXIE DREGS, member of supergroup FLYING COLORS, as well as former guitarist of DEEP PURPLE, KANSAS and more. Morse's bandmates feature Dave LaRue, also of FLYING COLORS and THE DIXIE DREGS, as well as Van Romaine, one of the most in-demand percussionists throughout his extensive career playing live and recording with legendary names like BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, Billy Joel, NAUGHTY BY NATURE and many more.

"This mini tour is us getting back to what made us the happiest, musically," says Morse. "Working with friends you know and trust, playing snippets of the best part of your lives together is too much fun to call 'work'! We are very excited to be coming back and playing here, since we formed the foundation of the music touring and playing this town!"

In a can't-miss celebration of musical prowess and unparalleled instrumental songwriting, this evening's set from the inimitable trio is undoubtedly poised to be a music lover's dream come true. Morse brings back one of his original career-defining acts that introduced the world to his supreme virtuosity over 30 years ago. Still at the top of their musical game, the STEVE MORSE BAND have returned to showcase and share their genre-defining musicianship once again.

Tour dates:

April 22 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head
April 23 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theater
April 24 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere -
May 25 - Homer, NY - Homer Center for the Arts
May 26 - Oakmont, PA - Oaks Theatre
May 27 - Lititz, PA - Mickey's Blackbox
May 28 - Cleveland, OH - Music Box Supper Club

Last July, Morse officially left PURPLE to care for his wife, Janine, who was battling cancer. He was replaced by Simon McBride.

Morse's announcement came four months after the guitarist said that he would be taking a hiatus from the band, in the hope of rejoining his bandmates once his wife's health improved.

Morse effectively took over Ritchie Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and had been in the group longer than Ritchie.

JETHRO TULL will release its 23rd studio album, "RökFlöte", on April 21 via InsideOut Music. Following 2022's "The Zealot Gene", the group's first LP in two decades, Ian Anderson and his bandmates are returning with a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principal gods of the old Norse paganism, and at the same time exploring the "RökFlöte" — rock flute — which JETHRO TULL has made iconic.

Asked in a new interview with Germany's Radio Bob! about the use of the umlauts in "RökFlöte" and how he would like people to pronounce the title of the new JETHRO TULL LP, Ian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I would probably prefer to stick with the typical Germanic-language pronunciation, but it's also the pronunciation in Icelandic from which I derived some of the ideas on the album, coming from the Poetic Edda of old Icelandic literature and the first attempt to write down the mythology and the beliefs of the old Norse world of paganism, adventure and so on and so forth. So it began, before I started work on the album, it had a working title of 'Rock Flute', in English, because I thought, 'I'm gonna make a rock album and it'll have a lot of flute on it.' So that was what was at the top of my page when I started work on January the 1st of 2022. And during the course of the day, I narrowed down my thoughts about the subject matter to deciding that I would write — focusing, really, on some of the Gods from Norse paganism, the polytheistic beliefs in Norse religion. And in a fanciful way I decided that perhaps the title should become not 'Rock' but 'Rök', which in old Icelandic means 'destiny', and 'Flöte', which is the German- and other Germanic-language pronunciation and spelling of flute, the instrument I play. So that's what it became. And I changed the heading at the top of my page of notes to reflect that and did a lot of research about the identity, characters and the roles of Norse Gods with a view to writing about them in, not in humorous way but in a light-hearted way to describe their characters and their personalities. And then, in the final 40 percent of each set of lyrics, the final two stanzas are bringing those characters and those roles into a context, into a parallel context of the world that I know today, or since I was born. And that was really the focus for the album, for all the tracks, partly looking at the historical, analytical side of it and partly creating a parallel set of analogies in the present day."

He added: "The umlauts are there for a legitimate reason because they are correct in the linguistic spelling, whereas the misappropriation of the umlaut at the hands of, for instance, MÖTLEY CRÜE or MOTÖRHEAD ought to make you either laugh or get angry, depending on your point of view."

MOTÖRHEAD leader Lemmy said that he "pinched" the idea for putting the umlaut on the second O of the band's name from his friends in BLUE ÖYSTER CULT. He later said that he "only put it there to look mean".

As for how the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE decided to add the umlauts to their name, singer Vince Neil recounted: "I can remember it like it was yesterday. We were drinking Löwenbräu, and when we decided to call ourselves MÖTLEY CRÜE, we put some umlauts in there because we thought it made us look European. We had no idea that it was a pronunciation thing. When we finally went to Germany, the crowds were chanting, 'Mutley Cruh! Mutley Cruh!' We couldn't figure out why the fuck they were doing that."

"RökFlöte" will be available on several different formats, including two limited deluxe formats that include bonus demo material, extensive liner notes and a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound, alternative stereo mixes by Bruce Soord (THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as a bonus track and in-depth interview with Anderson. The album will also be available digitally in the spatial audio formats Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA.

"The Zealot Gene", released in January 2022, was JETHRO TULL's 22nd studio album and it garnered critical acclaim across the board. Reaching No. 9 in the U.K. album charts, a feat the band hadn't reached since 1972, it also debuted at No. 4 in Germany, No. 3 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 8 in Finland, as well as top 10 in the U.S. album charts, Current Album charts and Rock Album charts.

With more than 30 albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 50 million, JETHRO TULL are one of the most successful rock bands of all-time with a catalog that contains classics that still resonate today. Led by Anderson, TULL continue to tour throughout the world, entertaining audiences of all ages.

The band consists of:

Ian Anderson - Concert and Alto flutes, Flute d'Amour, Irish whistle and vocals
David Goodier - Bass
John O'Hara - Piano, keyboards and Hammond Organ
Scott Hammond - Drums
Joe Parrish-James - Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin

Fan-filmed video of the annual "Rock Meets Classic" tour performing this past Friday (April 14) at the Tectake Arena in Würzburg, Germany can be seen below.

This year's "Rock Meets Classic" is headlined by Joey Tempest (EUROPE),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and URIAH HEEP's Mick Box and Bernie Shaw, with additional guest appearances by Maggie Reilly (Mike Oldfield),Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG, ELEGANT WEAPONS) and Mike Tramp (WHITE LION).

"Rock Meets Classic" was postponed in 2021 and 2022 due to the global pandemic.

Prior to the launch of this year's trek, "Rock Meets Classic" co-organizer Manfred Hertlein said: "We are on cloud nine to present guitarist Mick Box and vocalist Bernie Shaw, of the great URIAH HEEP. The two were on the 'Rock Meets Classic' stage back in 2016, and wiped the audience of their feet with mega hits like 'Lady In Black'."

Among the songs being performed on this year's tour are "Final Countdown", "Rock The Night" and "Superstitious" from EUROPE, "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "The Price" from TWISTED SISTER, "Easy Livin'" from URIAH HEEP, "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll" from RAINBOW, and "Broken Heart", "Tell Me" and "When The Children Cry" from WHITE LION.

Remaining "Rock Meets Classic" 2023 tour dates:

April 16 - München Olympiahalle
April 18 - Ludwigsburg MHP Arena
April 20 - Ingolstadt Saturn Arena
April 21 - Frankfurt myticket Jahrhunderthalle
April 22 - Nürnberg Arena Nürnberger Versicherung
April 23 - Kempten bigBOX
April 25 - Oberhausen Rudolf Weber Arena

In a new interview with the Rock Legacy webzine, former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked how he feels about his voice nowadays. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I feel great about my voice these days. I struggled for about six or seven years. It just wasn't the same, and I had to worry about my voice, and I had to be very careful. I was probably at 60 percent, maybe. But last year, before I did that Latin American tour… I remember I did, like, 16 shows in 18 days or something, and it was fantastic, man, and my voice was just — every night was on fire."

As for how he takes care of his voice, Owens said: "You know what? I just don't talk a lot. I don't go out and hang out with people. I'm not gonna go out there and be mingling with the fans, because I just can't talk. I have to rest it. So I just rest it a lot. I got some Retune singer spray that I have here that'll be my own brand pretty soon; my name will be on it… Don't buy it yet, though. I'll give you a link eventually, and you can buy it so I get money from it. But that stuff loosens it up in the studio. But I drink a lot of water and I take care of myself."

Owens recently released a solo EP, "Return To Death Row". The effort was produced by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Nick Bellmore (JASTA, DEE SNIDER). Players on the EP, which contain Owens's "heaviest songs yet," include Nick Bellmore, Charlie Bellmore (DEE SNIDER, ex-TOXIC HOLOCAUST) on guitar, and Chris Beaudette (JASTA, ENTEIRRO) on bass.

Owens is currently the frontman of KK'S PRIEST, featuring fellow former JUDAS PRIEST member K.K. Downing.

Owens joined PRIEST after being discovered when the band's drummer, Scott Travis, was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Rob Halford.

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Halford in 2003.

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's 2021 limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs.

Tim told The Metal Voice in 2016 that he "wouldn't have quit JUDAS PRIEST." He clarified: "I wanted to leave JUDAS PRIEST, 'cause I had already recorded the ICED EARTH record ['The Glorious Burden']. So I wanted out of JUDAS PRIEST, 'cause I wanted to do other stuff, but I never would have quit. 'Cause I was great friends with them, and I was the singer of JUDAS PRIEST. But to make more money and to do more things, I had to branch out and do other things."

In a separate interview, Owens defended himself against accusations by some JUDAS PRIEST fans of changing the band's sound to a more brutal, modern direction on "Jugulator". He explained: "Every record JUDAS PRIEST puts out is different. I mean, 'Nostradamus' sounds nothing like JUDAS PRIEST ever wrote, ever. 'Turbo' sounded nothing like JUDAS PRIEST. You know, JUDAS PRIEST changes. They wrote 'Painkiller', and 'Jugulator' was a transition; it was kind of following what was going on."

He continued: "You've gotta remember, JUDAS PRIEST always went with the times a little bit. Glenn [Tipton, guitar] started playing arpeggios. PANTERA was really big [at the time]. [On the] 'Painkiller' [tour], they toured with PANTERA; PANTERA opened for JUDAS PRIEST. 'Painkiller' was a heavy record, and this was a natural progression. The difference is I probably had a few more different layers to my voice that they could tap into — some deeper, death metal kind of undertones to do backups and some different types of voices that they might be able to try. But it was JUDAS PRIEST."

BraveWords is premiering Cruzados new video for "Land Of The Endless Sun", the title track of the band's new EP, produced by Bruce Witkin. Stream the EP here, and watch the video below.


"Recording our new 6-song EP Land Of The Endless Sun brought me back to our early days in the Cruzados. The guitar sounds we got thanks to Loren Molinare and Mark Tremalgia are tough as nails and set the mode for the entire EP. Ron Young belts out even stronger on this collection and the songs cover a wide range of classic Cruzados styles from the desert sound to 60s garage, all rounded out with a backbeat by drummer Rob Klonel that propels each track,” says Tony Marsico, co-founder/ bassist.


“This was a fun group of songs to record. It highlights so many of the band’s influences that we love to weave into our set. It keeps the Cruzados legacy going. Getting to work with our favorite Producer, Bruce Witkin again was also a blast as he makes us so comfortable all through the tracking that it makes the music flow out of us and he gets great performances from each of us," says lead singer Ron Young.







Tracklisting


"Dead Inside"
"Land Of The Endless Sun"
"Golden Child"
"A Little More Time"
"Queen Of The Quake"
"Johnny Pay To Play"


"Land Of The Endless Sun" video:



 
- Recorded at Unison Studios Feb 18-22, 2023
- Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Bruce Witkin
- All songs written by Marsico, Klonel, Molinare, Tremalgia, Young
- Additional Keyboards- Bruce Witkin
- Mastered by Dave Schultz at D2 Mastering


On the way from Cruzados is a collection of live music recorded in Europe from the band's 2022 tour. Live From Marseille is a full-length live album that contains performances of Cruzados band classics and some new tunes from 2022-2023. Further details to follow.


Cruzados' European tour kicks off this spring, April 27 through May 27 with stops in Spain, France, Belgium, and Germany.


Tour dates:


April
27 - Verviers, Belgium - Spirit Of 66
28 - Besançon, France - Bar De L’U
29 - Dortmund, Germany - Blue Notez


May
1 - Girona, Spain - Sala la Torrentera
3 - Madrid, Spain - Rockville
4 - Zaragoza, Spain - Rock & Blues
5 - Aviles, Spain - Sala Malecón
6 - Cangas, Spain - Salason
7 - A Coruña, Spain - Mardi Gras
8 - Leon, Spain - Babylon
11 - Orihuela, Spain - La Gramola
12 - Castellon de la Plana, Spain - Sala Because
13 - Barcelona, Spain - La Textil
14 - Vitoria, Spain - Urban Rock Concept
16 - Marseille, France - Cherrydon
17 - Chambéry, France - Brin De Zinc
19 - Kufstein, Austria - Fufa
20 - Lauchhammer, Germany - Real Music Club
22 - Norderstedt, Germany - MusicStar
23 - Bremen, Germany - Meisenfrei
26 - Krefeld, Germany - Kulturrampe
27 - Fürth, Germany - New Orleans Fest (Open Air)


Lineup:


Ron Young: Lead Vocals
Tony Marsico: Bass, Vocals
Rob Klonel: Drums
Mark Tremalgia: Guitar, Vocals
Loren Molinare: Guitar, Vocals


The Cruzados attracted national attention in the ‘80s with their stormy, Latin-inflected brand of post-punk hard rock. Signed to Clive Davis’ Arista Records, the quartet issued two albums, Cruzados (1985) and After Dark (1987). They also made a high-profile screen appearance in the 1989 cult classic Road House. However, familiar rock ‘n’ roll pressures capsized the band in 1991; guitarist Marshall Rohner died in 2005, and drummer Chalo “Charlie” Quintana died in 2018.


In the intervening years, Marsico worked on the debut album by Plugz and Cruzados singer-guitarist Tito Larriva’s band Tarantula, today based in Austin. He also carved out a notable career as a top session musician and touring sideman with such artists as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Roger Daltrey, Marianne Faithfull, and Willie Nelson. The bassist’s studio and road stories are collected in two books, Late Nights with Bob Dylan (2009) and I’m Just Here for the Gig! (2020).


With the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and the enforced solitude that followed, Marsico began to contemplate a new project under the Cruzados handle.


“Being penned up with the pandemic at home for a year, I started questioning my mortality,” he says. “I felt like I got shortchanged with the Cruzados. We never got to put out a third album, due to a lot of crazy circumstances that cropped up. I wanted to do the band justice and go out on a high note. That was my goal, and to pay tribute to Chalo and Marshall.”


Material for a new Cruzados release came quickly. It didn’t take long for Marsico to decide on the right musicians to carry on the Cruzados’ legacy in the studio: He turned to singer Ron Young and guitarists Loren Molinare and Mark Tremalgia of Little Caesar, who were also active on the L.A. scene in the late ‘80s as a Geffen Records act. The core lineup was completed by drummer Ron Klonel, who has collaborated with Little Caesar in recent years.


“The Little Caesar guys were Chalo’s best friends – they were pals from back in the day,” Marsico says. “I had to find the best guy to be the lead singer. My tastes have changed a little – the influences are blues and rock ‘n’ roll. I knew that Ron Young from Little Caesar loved blues, and we got to talking and we hit it off with the same style of music. I knew that he could pull this off and get behind it.


“Loren Molinare was in the great ‘70s L.A. band the Dogs, of course, and I loved the Dogs, and Mark Tremalgia is a new guy I’ve been working with for a couple of years now. Rob Klonel is a great, solid rock ‘n’ roll drummer. It was really important for me to get someone who hit ‘em hard like Chalo. They were a perfect combination of guys, and they had a lot of enthusiasm.”


With Bruce Witkin engineering and producing, the new Cruzados set up shop at Unison Studios in L.A. Marsico recalls, “We did it all “old style “– we just set up in a room all together, like we used to do records before they started putting everybody in isolation booths and all that crap. We got the band together and rehearsed, and we went into the studio a week later. Before we knew it, we had the album. All live, no click tracks. We all played in our own little area, with our masks on. Set up, play, cut the songs, boom. It felt great to rock with a bunch of like-minded guys. With our special guests, half of them came to the studio, and half recorded their parts at home.”

Cherie Currie has once again said that a full reunion of iconic 1970s rockers THE RUNAWAYS will now probably never happen.

Speaking to Marko Syrjälä of Metal Rules and SySi Media, Currie outlined her relationships with fellow former bandmates Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox and Sandy West and the previous attempts to get the band back together.

"I played with all the girls," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I played with Lita… And just in the last decade. Lita, Joan… I always played with Sandy [who died of lung cancer in 2006 at the age of 47], God rest her soul. Jackie… I played with every member of THE RUNAWAYS individually. And even Lita will say, 'Oh, I can work with Cherie.' I mean, I'm easy to work with. I just wanna have fun. But they… Lita hates [Joan's longtime manager] Kenny Laguna; that's never gonna change."

Cherie explained that the chances of THE RUNAWAYS reuniting are very slim "because Lita and Joan don't see eye to eye." She added: "I really hoped it would happen, but now I absolutely believe it will not… Unless there's a miracle on Joan and Lita's side, which I doubt. But I can't control people. And it's too bad because it could have been great."

Currie reflected on the one time that a RUNAWAYS reunion almost happened more than 25 years ago, saying: Joan wanted to do it. Lita approached me and Sandy back in 1997 and had us get Joan on board, and Joan said, 'Okay. Let's do it.' And Kenny went out of his way, got a record deal; we were gonna book a tour. And then the first telephone conversation with all of us, Lita just went completely off the rails and said, 'Nah, I'm not doing this,' because she hates Kenny so much. And then they made me call Lita, and Lita just said, 'I'm a household name. I don't need this bullshit.' I said, 'Please do it for Sandy West, Lita. Do it for Sandy.' And she wouldn't. And for that I will never forgive Lita. Because Sandy really, really could have used a boost. But people are selfish in this life. I don't know why people are so self-consumed and so selfish. But Lita was very selfish when she did that and did not consider Sandy whatsoever. And here we lost her just seven years later."

When Syrjälä told Currie that Ford said in a previous interview that it was Jett who ultimately decided against a RUNAWAYS reunion, Cherie said: "No, she's wrong. It was [Lita who decided against it] first. She brought it all together. She stopped it. And then Joan didn't wanna do it [when it was brought up again later]. It's, like, you know what, Lita… Lita was the one that started the whole thing. She should have followed through, but she didn't. And so she can't blame Joan for that. Even though I'm not a hundred percent on the 'rah-rah, Joan' fan club anymore, I call it the way it is. And Lita really… She started it. We were there. And she walked. So she has no right to say anything anymore."

Two months ago, Currie told "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" about the possibility of a RUNAWAYS reunion: "Joan uses the excuse that we're not teenagers anymore, we're not THE RUNAWAYS anymore [as to why she doesn't want to do it]. But to me, I think it's incredibly selfish. You do things for the fans, and when you start thinking that you're doing things for yourself after all these years of being successful in this business… I really think that both Lita and Joan owe it to the fans. But that's just me."

Cherie went on to say that she has "always been ready" to take part in a RUNAWAYS reunion. "But I didn't even consider such a thing until Lita reached out to me in '97 and asked me and Sandy to talk Joan into it," she explained. "And we did. And then right when we had the record deal and the tour and everything that Kenny had put together, Lita walked. Just from one conversation. We had a conference call with me and Sandy and Joan and Lita and Kenny, and Lita just couldn't stand hearing the sound of Kenny's voice, and she just said, 'You know what? I'm out.' And that was it. And then she came back again after THE RUNAWAYS movie, [and then] Joan says, 'No. I don't wanna do it.' And it's just crazy, because it's the same bullshit that I went through with these girls when I was a teenager. It's just kind of, like, 'Wow.' I don't know what to say; I just don't. It's frustrating because I know it would have been amazing to do. And it's frustrating. You can't make people do something they don't wanna do."

Currie added: "I have stood on that stage as an adult in my late 50s… with Lita, and with Joan as well, and it was really like time had stopped every time I had gotten on stage with those two. It's just too bad we could never have done it together, 'cause it would have absolutely been amazing."

The first true girl band of the 1970s, THE RUNAWAYS toured internationally and made a dent in the charts before calling it quits at the end of that decade.

In November 2018, Ford told the Daily Mail that a reunion of THE RUNAWAYS will probably never happen. She explained: "Joan Jett is very much in 'Joan Jett land,' I guess you could say. Will she ever come out of Joan Jett land? I don't think so. I think her manager controls that and it's really up to him and her. It seems to me like Joan Jett's manager just runs her life in every way, shape, or form. He's very controlling and he has a real problem with me. He has a real issue with me. He sees me as a threat, which is ridiculous, because she's like my sister and I love Joan. It's ridiculous, it's uncalled for, and it's caused a little bit of rivalry between her and I, which is totally uncalled for. It's his fault."

Ford claimed that Jett's manager has prevented her from even talking about a RUNAWAYS reunion with Jett.

"The hard part is just trying to communicate with Joan without her manager involved," she added.

"We had dinner a couple of years ago, what was supposed to be a girl's night out, and she brought her manager with her.

"So it's like, "Dude, answer the question. I'm trying to ask you a question. Are you interested in putting THE RUNAWAYS back together?' She never answered the question."

In a 2015 interview with the WHMH (Rockin' 101) radio station, Lita explained that she decided against a possible RUNAWAYS reunion in the early '90s because "NIRVANA was just kicking in, and it was really bad timing; it wouldn't have worked. People would have just turned their nose up at it."

A movie about THE RUNAWAYS' brief history, starring Dakota Fanning as Currie and Kristin Stewart as Jett, came out in 2010.

In a new interview with Sense Music Media, ex-SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was asked if he still has the physical dexterity and stamina to play material from his former band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I could still play it. I think I play music that's a little more difficult and challenging now than SLAYER. SLAYER's music is machine-like; it's like a locomotive — just go, go, go, go, go. Now I'm playing that, but the songs have a lot more changes. MR. BUNGLE's music, it's a little more complex than what SLAYER's was. And some other thrash bands I played recently with, the music has evolved to more complex rather than straightforward thrash."

He added: "So, to answer your question, I'm totally fine. I don't have any issues with my wrists, elbows, shoulders, joints. I hope it continues, 'cause I wanna play until I'm 90. I want them to take me from the wheelchair onto the throne. I play like a fucking madman and then back to the wheelchair, back to bed. [Laughs]"

Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Lombardo will release his debut solo album, "Rites Of Percussion", on May 5 via Ipecac Recordings.

Dave is one of the busiest musicians working right now. Never one to rest on his laurels, the drumming pioneer recently released new albums with DEAD CROSS and VENAMORIS, performed with his other new band, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD (also featuring members of BIFFY CLYRO),and will soon hit the road with MR. BUNGLE, followed by dates with the resurrected punk icons MISFITS.