Scott Weiland's solo debut, "12 Bar Blues", marks its 25th anniversary today, and Rhino is celebrating by remastering and expanding the acclaimed album for two upcoming releases.

On Record Store Day, the album will make its vinyl debut as a limited edition two-LP set. "12 Bar Blues" will be limited to 7,500 copies on 180-gram translucent blue and green vinyl and available exclusively at select independent music retailers on April 22 for $34.98. The set includes the original album with newly remastered audio along with three previously unreleased recordings: an acoustic version of "Barbarella" and session outtakes "Lazy Divey" and "Chateau Mars". The latter two tracks appeared on the original promotional version of the album sent out by Atlantic Records, but were cut from the commercial release.

On May 12, a deluxe version of "12 Bar Blues" with even more previously unreleased music will be available digitally. It features the newly remastered original album, the previously unreleased tracks from the vinyl release, plus five more previously unreleased recordings. The demo version of "Barbarella" from the digital deluxe version is available online today. The original music video for "Barbarella" has also been newly upgraded to 4K.

Best-known as the singer with the Grammy-winning bands STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER, Weiland took listeners on a sonic roller coaster ride in 1998 with "12 Bar Blues", his adventurous solo debut on Atlantic Records.

Weiland co-produced the album with Blair Lamb and played many instruments on the record, including guitar, bass, keyboards, drum loops, and more. He also was responsible for the album's design concept, which is an homage to "Blue Train", the 1958 album by legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.

Victor Indrizzo, Zander Schloss and Jeff Nolan from the MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS (a group Weiland started in 1995) are featured throughout the record. In addition, several artists made guest appearances on "12 Bar Blues", including multi-Grammy winner Sheryl Crow playing accordion on "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" and jazz pianist Brad Mehldau on "Divider" and "Mockingbird Girl". Renowned musician/producer Daniel Lanois plays on "Desperation #5" and "Barbarella", and also mixed several songs on the original album. A trio of his unreleased mixes — including one for "Cool Kiss" — will make their debut on "12 Bar Blues (Deluxe Edition)" along with the demos for "Desperation #5" and the aforementioned "Barbarella".

"12 Bar Blues" 2-LP track listing (available April 22):

Side One

01. Desperation #5
02. Barbarella
03. About Nothing
04. Where's The Man

Side Two

01. Divider
02. Cool Kids
03. The Date
04. Son

Side Three

01. Jimmy Was A Stimulator
02. Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down
03. Mockingbird Girl
04. Opposite Octave Reaction

Side Four

01. Barbarella – Acoustic Version *
02. Lazy Divey *
03. Chateau Mars *

"12 Bar Blues (Deluxe Edition)" track listing (available Digitally May 12)

01. Desperation #5
02. Barbarella
03. About Nothing
04. Where's The Man
05. Divider
06. Cool Kids
07. The Date
08. Son
09. Jimmy Was A Stimulator
10. Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down
11. Mockingbird Girl
12. Opposite Octave Reaction
13. Barbarella (Acoustic Version) *
14. Lazy Divey *
15. Chateau Mars *
16. Barbarella (Daniel Lanois Mix) *
17. Cool Kiss (Daniel Lanois Mix) *
18. Lady Your Roof Brings Me Down (Daniel Lanois Mix) *
19. Barbarella (Demo Version) *
20. Desperation #5 (Demo Version) *

* previously unreleased

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian was joined by his wife Pearl Aday (vocals) and son Revel (drums),along with guitarist Zach Throne and bassist Joey Vera, for a performance of BLACK SABBATH's "Symptom Of The Universe" and LED ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love" at this past Tuesday night's (March 28) "Ultimate Jam Night" at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Watch video of the performance below (courtesy of Jessica Chase).

This week's "Ultimate Jam Night" benefited Animal Tracks, a Southern California sanctuary for endangered animals.

Established in 2002, and currently located in Agua Dulce, Animal Tracks is a non-profit immersive sanctuary for more than 80 rescued animals. These animals are unsuited for being household pets, nor readily placeable in zoos. As a result, they find themselves with limited life options. The benefit raised funds for immediate and continuous care of the animals and allow the organization to find new facilities in the face of ongoing zoning issues.

Hosted by comedian, musician and VH1 host Hal Sparks, the benefit featured appearances by other high-profile rock musicians, including METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, as well as members of OK GO, BAD WOLVES, P.O.D., MINISTRY, WHITESNAKE, VIO-LENCE, DIRTY HONEY, PALAYE ROYALE, JOYOUS WOLF, ARMORED SAINT and KING'S X.

"Animal Tracks is a unique southern Californian treasure", said Chuck Wright (QUIET RIOT, ALICE COOPER, MONTROSE),who founded "Ultimate Jam Night" in 2015. "Staffed by dedicated volunteers under the direction of a trained exotic animal experts, Animal Tracks takes hard to place endangered animals and gives them a last-chance home and care. Otherwise, these beautiful creatures would be destroyed."

Created in 2015, "Ultimate Jam Night" presents an ever-evolving show of music, performance art, and more designed to keep live music alive. Over the course of its history, "Ultimate Jam Night" has hosted music's biggest names, held community and charity events, presented Broadway-like performances and entertained hundreds of thousands. The show is completely unrehearsed.

For more information, visit www.ultimatejamnight.com.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson is taking part in a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in March and April. The concerts are being performed by a symphony orchestra consisting of more than 80 instrumentalists conducted by Paul Mann, a close friend of Jon's, and assembled especially for the occasion with members of OSESP (Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo) and some of the country's main symphony groups. They are appearing alongside Kaitner Z Doka (JON LORD, IAN PAICE, DON AIREY) on guitar, Bernhard Welz (JON LORD, DON AIREY) on drums, John O'Hara (JETHRO TULL) on keyboards, Tanya O'Callaghan (WHITESNAKE) on bass and Mario Argandonia (SCORPIONS) on percussion.

Fan-filmed video of Dickinson's March 24 concert at KC Dražen Petrović in Zagreb, Croatia can be seen below.

In a video announcing the "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" shows, Dickinson said: "So I'm really excited to be doing this Concerto For Group And Orchestra all around the place — around Europe and in Brazil.

"Well, what is it exactly? Well, it's about a 45-minute piece of classical music that was written by Jon Lord from DEEP PURPLE involving a group; in this case, it was DEEP PURPLE," he explained. "And it's like a meeting of minds between a rock and roll band and an orchestra, and they play slightly separately, they play together. I'm basically just the singer in the part of the Concerto that is the singing part; that's basically part one of the show. Part two, we kind of really let our hair down a bit. There's a couple of more classical interactions between the band that's more instrumental, and then we do five PURPLE songs with the orchestra and the band, so 'Perfect Strangers', 'When A Blind Man Cries', obviously, 'Smoke On The Water', 'Hush' and 'Pictures Of Home', which is a rarity and it's amazing with the orchestra. And then we're also gonna do something a little bit special. We've done an orchestral arrangement of my version of 'Jerusalem' and also 'Tears Of The Dragon' with the orchestra and the band. So, those two are gonna be in there at end — no particular order at the moment. So it's a really good, amazing evening of fantastic playing by incredible musicians. And that's what it is — it's music."

Remaining dates are as follows:

April 02 - Hala University Palacheho, Olomouc, Czech Republic
April 15 - Vibra, Sao Paulo, Brazil
April 19 - Teatro Positiva, Curitiba, Brazil
April 21 - Vivo Rio, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
April 25 - Auditorio Araujo Vianna, Porto Alegre, Brazil

For tickets, visit ScreamForMe.com.

Bruce previously performed "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in November 2021 in Győr, Hungary with DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover and the Győr Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, he performed at the 50th-anniversary celebration of "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in November 2019 at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

When the Quebec City concert was first announced, Dickinson said: "As many people know, DEEP PURPLE have been a major, ongoing influence in my life since I was a teenager, and down the years, I have been fortunate enough to become good friends with all of the band, most especially in my collaborations with Jon Lord."

Added Mann: "My long collaboration with Jon Lord, and in particular his innovative, genre-defying 'Concerto', has been one of the greatest joys of my musical life. Jon's spirit will definitely be with us."

During a September 2018 spoken-word gig in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dickinson talked about his friendship with Lord. He said: "Jon Lord was a wonderful gentleman, and we were close friends. And he sadly died of… He had pancreatic cancer, but he survived for a year and a half — much against what everybody had said would happen. And actually, at the end, he didn't die of pancreatic cancer — he died, unfortunately, of some terrible blood collapse that happened with him, possibly as a result of treatment. But we had all kinds of crazy plans, including me going out on tour with him, singing DEEP PURPLE songs with an orchestra, which he was planning to do; that was one of the things we were planning to do. But it all got interrupted and canceled, and [it was] obviously very sad. He was a wonderful man."

Lord died on July 16, 2012 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he worked primarily in the classical field.

As thrash legends Metallica return with a new album, 72 Seasons, Rock Candy Mag goes back to 1986 to look at the band’s classic Master Of Puppets over 14 pages. Guitarist Kirk Hammett discusses the making of the album, how it changed Metallica’s career trajectory, and how he looks back on ‘Master…’ today.





“We weren’t trying to make an album that 35 or so years on people would put on and think still sounded great,” Hammett tells Rock Candy Mag editor Howard Johnson. “We didn’t set out to do anything, really. We were just trying to make the best album we possibly could and that’s what came out.”




Released on 3 March 1986, Master Of Puppets was the thrash band’s third album - recorded in Denmark with producer Flemming Rasmussen - and it went on to sell over six million copies in the US alone.


“From a technical viewpoint, when I listen to the album I’m really surprised at how good it sounds so long after the fact,” says Hammett. “The recording of the album, the recording of the songs, the production… it all holds up still.”


Master Of Puppets proved to be Cliff Burton’s swansong with Metallica. The bassist sadly died on 27 September 1986 in a coach accident while on tour promoting the album.


“Cliff’s contribution to Master Of Puppets was very melodic and very musical,” explains Hammett. “His contribution wasn’t so much the big heavy riffs. It was all melody bass, and it was a lot of really, really cool stuff. When Cliff went it was the end of an era, and we all knew it. We knew it.”


More than 35 years after it was first released, Master Of Puppets is an acknowledged classic of the thrash genre and proudly sits in the US Library Of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry on account of being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Hammett thinks he knows why.


“A lot of the music from that time now sounds samey and similar,” he says. “But there’s really nothing on Master Of Puppets that dates it to any particular period - sound-wise, production-wise, recording-wise. Master Of Puppets is my favourite of all the albums we’ve ever done.”


You can read the 14-page Metallica special, together with fascinating stories about L.A. Guns, Kansas, Bad English, Winger and many others in issue 37 of Rock Candy Mag. For more details visit ockcandymag.com..

Ace Frehley says that Paul Stanley has seven days to apologize to him for the comments he made about the original KISS guitarist on "The Howard Stern Show".

Earlier this month, radio host Howard Stern asked Stanley why he and fellow original KISS member Gene Simmons didn't perform with Frehley and drummer Peter Criss at the Rock Hall induction. Stanley said: "[The Rock Hall organizers] were demanding, quite honestly, that we play with the two original guys, Peter and Ace, and at this point, that would be demeaning to the [current KISS] band, and also would give some people confusion. 'Cause if you saw people on stage who looked like KISS but sounded like that, maybe we should be called PISS."

During an appearance earlier today (Wednesday, March 29) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Ace blasted Paul for his comments, saying: "You know what it is? It's Paul's frustration and insecurity that he has to use backing tapes. And we're only six months apart, and I can still get up there and belt it out and hit the keys, and he can't. And it's very unfortunate. And I'm very sad [about] the fact that he's using backing tracks. It's cheapening the brand, which affects my bottom line, because I still get paid from KISS on merchandising and whatever else they do. And I'm pissed off about it."

Frehley added: Those guys have been badmouthing me since I quit the very first time in 1981, 1982, calling me a drug addict, calling me an alcoholic, saying I'm unemployable, I'm undependable. And then, when we did the 'Unplugged' thing for MTV, all of a sudden I'm offered millions of dollars to come back to the band. Oh, what happened? Now I'm not a drug addict and I'm dependable and you're willing to take a shot at hiring me again? In fact, they offered me more money than they offered Peter.

"The reunion tour was one of the most successful tours KISS ever did," Frehley continued. "It grossed over 250 million dollars the first year. It was the largest-grossing tour of that year, by any band in the United States and Europe. And I got paid, and I said, 'Okay, I'll see you guys. I'm going back to my solo [career].' And then all of a sudden they said, 'No. We're thinking about doing a farewell tour.' I said, 'Okay. What kind of money are we talking about?' And it was acceptable. And I said, 'Why not make a few more million dollars?'"

Circling back to Stanley's comments about him, Ace said: "Let me tell you something, my brother and the fans. Nobody knows this, but when I was living in San Diego with my [then-]girlfriend, I got a phone call from Paul, Doc [McGhee, KISS manager] and Gene. We did a conference call, and they were asking me to play with them on stage. They wanted me to play. They wanted to do it. And I said, 'I'm not getting up on stage with Tommy [Thayer, current KISS guitarist] if he's wearing my makeup. You expect me to wear makeup. There will be two Spacemen. Are you crazy? I'll do it if it's just us four — the original founding members who created something very special.

"For the last 15 years they've had other people playing what Peter did, and Tommy's copying every solo I ever wrote, and trying to copy my moves, and trying to be cool on stage, but unsuccessfully [laughs] — unfortunately. But with all the bombs and the smoke and mirrors, they're getting away with it. Personally, I don't give a shit as long as I'm getting paid by them.

"But as far as what he said on Howard Stern, I'm going to make a statement to Paul Stanley right now," Ace said. "And Paul, if you're not listening, I'm sure one of your associates in the KISS group are. And I'm telling you that I want my formal apology for what you said and a retraction and an apology within seven days. And if I don't get that within seven days, I'm coming back on Ed Trunk's show and I'm gonna tell some dirt that nobody knows about Paul and Gene that I've always kept to myself because I'm the kind of guy who doesn't talk about this. I like to talk about the positive stuff.

"You've read my book. You've read Paul's book. You've read Peter's book. A lot of times those guys are just throwing people under the bus," Frehley noted. "I mean, in Paul's book, he even threw Gene under the bus. What I tried to do was have a fun, entertaining book with interesting stories, and this is the way I am. I'm not the kind of guy who kisses and tells. When it comes to negativity, and we've all done things that we regret over the years — it's there. I have a 120-page manuscript that I wrote after I finished my book. My attorney has it in a safety deposit box. God forbid anything happens to me. My attorney is instructed to release it to The New York Times, Rolling Stone, API [sic], everybody. So they can't intimidate me with trying to hurt me or say, 'You'd better not say anything about me live on the radio.' Because then they're totally screwed. Their careers will be ruined."

Despite everything that has been said between him and his former bandmates, Frehley acknowledged that would still be willing to share the stage with Stanley and Simmons when KISS plays their final shows in New York City this December. "I was actually hoping that maybe they'd invite me to come back for a third time, not because I really wanted to play with them because we created something really special and I'm the best fit in that band," he said. "Always ways, always will be. You think Tommy Thayer can do what I can do? Impossibility."

This summer, on July 7, 2023, Swedish power metal force BLOODBOUND will release their hotly-anticipated, new studio offering Tales From The North! The band's tenth album will be coming out as a 2-CD digipak including a live CD, a strictly limited box set as well as coloured vinyl LPs; the pre-sale has just recently started via AFM Records.

When it comes to defending the core values of timeless power metal and combining them with fresh stylistic variations and exciting stories, BLOODBOUND have always been fighting at the forefront. The six-piece has proven their versatility and inventiveness countless times. Following their much acclaimed, 2021-album, Creatures Of The Dark Realm, Tales From The North will unquestionable continue to enthrall the metal community! As lead guitarist Tomas Olsson recently revealed:

“’Tales From The North’ is very much a concept album about the viking era. About the lives of our ancestors up here in the dark, cold and unfriendly environments of the north. Different legends and myths intertwine during the course of the songs, leading up to the epic battle of 1066, which marks the end of the viking era.”


After first album singles, "Odin’s Prayer" and “The Raven's Cry", today, BLOODBOUND are premiering a music video for the album closing track "1066"! Fredrik Bergh adds: "1066 is one of the more epic tracks on the album. One of my favorite songs from "Tales from the North"!

Watch the new video now streaming below.

Tales From The North was produced by BLOODBOUND, and was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (Amorphis, Overkill, Sabaton) at the Swedish ‘Black Lounge Studios’. The cover artwork was created by Péter Sallai (Hammerfall, Powerwolf & many more).

Olsson continues: “The songs are more fast-paced and closer to some of our earlier stuff like ’Moria’ and ’Nosferatu’, but have more complex arrangements. Compared to the predecessor ‚Creatures Of The Dark Realm‘ there are heavier guitars and some deeper sounding keyboards. We have also incorporated some traditional nordic folk music instruments to fit the concept of the album. It`s still pure power metal but we’re trying to take it to the next level.”

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute band called BEYOND FRONTIERS (formerly JOEY BELLADONNA'S BEYOND THE BAND and JOURNEY BEYOND) performed on Friday, March 24 at Uptown Art Expo in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Video of the concert can be seen below.

Nearly two years ago, Belladonna spoke to "The Johnny Dare Morning Show" about his JOURNEY tribute, which also features keyboardist Doug Carter, bassist Paul Arntz, guitarist Matt Basford and drummer Justin Ward.

"We're working on some recordings so we can be like a normal band and put stuff up on the site — maybe do a video," Joey said. "We've got interest in playing shows. We're just trying to figure out when and how, that kind of thing. The band's still together. We record at home. Everybody's all in different places at the moment. We only did one show, so we can't wait to do it again, 'cause it's gonna be fun."

Belladonna also touched upon his reasons for launching a JOURNEY tribute band, saying: "People ask why the hell I do it. I just like the songs. I've liked the band forever. And I just wanted to do it because I think it's a cool challenge and it's just fun music. I can't think of many bands that I'd like to do a whole evening of without trying to dress up and do everything they do. We just wanna be a band that plays that music. I don't care about the whole lookalike-type stuff. It's just about music. That's really all it is."

In an April 2020 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Belladonna stated about his approach to singing material that was originally written and recorded by Steve Perry: "Obviously, when you do [something like this], there's always open ground for [people to say], 'You didn't do that part, 'You didn't do this.' [But] I didn't wanna copy it note for note. Sometimes I just like to do my own thing with it. Represent it and do what you can, but I love to mess around with things. Not so much to try to be too different, but just make it cool and do it your own way versus trying to get every note. I'm sure some guys study every second of it. Even with ANTHRAX, I do songs different a lot of times. It's just fun that way. To do things off the cuff is fun for me versus trying to follow everything… I can study it all day, but I just don't feel like doing that. I wanna have a little fun doing my own thing with it."

Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute made its live debut in March 2020 at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell, Virginia.

When he is not busy touring and recording with ANTHRAX, Belladonna has been spending time playing drums and singing for a classic-rock covers band called CHIEF BIG WAY. The upstate New York-based group, which also features Dave Mickelson on bass, Joe Precourt on guitar and John Goodwin on keyboards, plays versions of songs from JOURNEY, AC/DC, ZZ TOP, BOSTON, CHEAP TRICK, FOREIGNER, PINK FLOYD, VAN HALEN, COLLECTIVE SOUL, THE WHO, THE DOORS, SHINEDOWN and BON JOVI, among others.

In a 2005 interview with MusicDish, Belladonna was asked about the rumor that he came to the table with a JOURNEY tune during his 1985 audition for ANTHRAX. "Actually, what happened was I went into the room and they said, 'Just go on in,' and they hadn't heard me sing," he said. "They'd heard of me and they asked me to come in, but we were going in to start tracking and stuff, to get the mic set up and all that and they said, 'Let's get you in there and get you warmed up.' I hit the mic and belted out some JOURNEY… I think it was [the song] 'Lights'. I didn't know what the hell I was getting into in the first place. I just wanted to lay some vocals or something. Just to kinda give an idea and that's what happened. It wasn't really anything more than that. I just kinda belched it out. I think I did 'Oh Sherrie' [written by Steve Perry], too, or something. I dunno why, but I just did. It was something off the top of my head I could do a cappella and it was kinda challenging. I thought maybe in range or something that would be kind of intriguing. It was definitely one they weren't expecting."

ANTHRAX's 2013 EP "Anthems" EP included the band's cover version of JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" alongside classics by RUSH, THIN LIZZY, AC/DC, CHEAP TRICK and BOSTON.
Great show last night in Orlando. Thanks to the fans for making us feel welcome. Also thanks to Jim Barton & Pam Jett and the #UptownArtExpo for being such amazing hosts. And to the mayor Pat Bates for coming to the show!

Tonight:

Mar 25 - Pompano Beach, FL
Pipers Pub. pic.twitter.com/ubAdywFVtc

— Joey Belladonna (@jbelladonna) March 25, 2023

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined TESLA on stage on Sunday, March 25 on the fifth night of the latter band's Las Vegas residency at House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino to perform the song "Signs". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

TESLA recently added five shows to its residency at House Of Blues. The new dates will begin on Friday, September 29. Tickets start at $59.50 plus applicable fees.

Newly announced shows:

* Friday, Sept. 29, 2023
* Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
* Monday, Oct. 4, 2023
* Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2023
* Thursday, Oct. 7, 2023

During the residency, TESLA touches all sides of its unique discography including the heavier edge of electric songs like "Modern Day Cowboy", "Hang Tough" and "Edison's Medicine", as well as their acoustic-driven songs such as "Signs" and "Love Song" (two Top 10 Billboard-charting hits).

When the residency was first announced, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon said in a statement: "We are very excited to be able to perform consecutive nights residing at the same venue because we plan to dig into our catalog and change up our set lists for each show. This will make it interesting for our loyal fans who will attend in the spectacular city of Las Vegas!"

"We in TESLA are very excited to be doing our very first-ever residency in Las Vegas, of all places, where Elvis did his residency," added Brian Wheat, TESLA bassist. "We look forward to bringing the legacy of TESLA's music to you all!"

In September 2021, TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA will release a new live album, "Full Throttle Live!". this summer. The LP will include the band's latest single, "Time To Rock!", plus other songs, all recorded last August at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Last month, Hannon told Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk that "Full Throttle Live!" will also feature a cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)" as a "bonus track."

In an interview with Rapture Radio, BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Heidi Shepherd was asked if fans can expect to hear a new album from the band anytime soon. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes. Absolutely. There's actually a double album coming out this summer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2021, BUTCHER BABIES embarked on a headlining tour, "Butcher Babies Vs. Goliath", which saw the band performing "Goliath" — released in 2013 via Century Media Records — in its entirety along with recent hit singles and new material.

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

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler will release his autobiography, "Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath - And Beyond", on June 6 in North America via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books. The book will arrive in the United Kingdom on June 8.

Says Geezer: "After spending my entire life creating memories, to eventually set aside how reserved I am, I have put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). The recollection of my life (thus far) is coming out 6/6/23. Yes I know that 2x3=6. Although unintentional, having that as a release date suits me fine. If pre-ordering is your thing, you can do so on #amazon. If you are in the UK & want a signed edition, you can pre-order from Coles Books. https://coles-books.co.uk/."

"Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond" is described by the publisher as "a rollicking, effusive, and candid memoir by the heavy metal musician and founding member of BLACK SABBATH, covering his years as the band's bassist and main lyricist through his later-career projects, and detailing how one of rock's most influential bands formed and prevailed.

"With over 70 million records sold, BLACK SABBATH, dubbed by Rolling Stone 'THE BEATLES of heavy metal,' helped create the genre itself, with their distinctive heavy riffs, tuned down guitars, and apocalyptic lyrics. Bassist and primary lyricist Geezer Butler played a gigantic part in the band's renown, from suggesting the band name to using his fascination with horror, religion, and the occult to compose the lyrics and build the foundation of heavy metal as we know it.

"In 'Into The Void', Butler tells his side of the story, from the band's beginnings as a scrappy blues quartet in Birmingham through the struggles leading to the many well-documented lineup changes while touring around London's gritty clubs (Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and THE WHO makes notable appearances!),and the band's important later years. He writes honestly of his childhood in a working-class family of seven in Luftwaffe-battered Birmingham, his almost-life as an accountant, and how his disillusionment with organized religion and class systems would spawn the lyrics and artistic themes that would resonate so powerfully with fans around the world.

"'Into The Void' reveals the softer side of the heavy metal legend and the formation of one of rock's most exciting bands, while holding nothing back. Like Geezer's bass lines, it is both original, dramatic, and forever surprising."

During an appearance on an April 2022 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Butler stated about his autobiography. "[It's] finished," he said. "I sent the manuscript in three weeks ago, so now I'm just waiting for the edited version to come back so I can go nuts."

He added: "The trouble is ever since I sent in the manuscript I thought about seven things I've left out. So I'm gonna probably drive them nuts now."

Geezer first announced the completion of memoir in a tweet on April 6, 2022. At the time, he wrote: "Just turned in the 1st draft of my book so I'm now thinking of titles. So far, I have: Into the Void, Basses Loaded, Past Forward, What The Butler Did, Bassic Instinct. Feel free to send me which of those you think would suit my #autobiography".

A year earlier, Butler told Cleveland.com that he started writing a memoir "because when my parents died, I always wished I'd asked them a lot more things than I knew about. I don't really know much about my mum and dad, 'cause they were always just there," he explained. "So, I started writing a memoir for my grandkids to read, and that's been fun going through stuff — old times and growing up in Birmingham and all that."

In the fall of 2020, Butler told Australia's Wall Of Sound that his book would be "about growing up in Aston, Birmingham and how SABBATH came about." The bassist also reflected on everything he has accomplished in this past half a century, saying: "It's a great achievement to still be relevant 50 years after we recorded our first two albums. We honestly thought we'd last a few years, then be forgotten about. Fifty years ago any form of popular music was seen as a passing fad — people even thought THE BEATLES would be forgotten about after they broke up, but nobody then [realized] how powerful the nostalgia effect would be."

A founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Butler is also the lyricist of such SABBATH classics as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid" and others.

Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi reunited in late 2011 and released a comeback album, "13", in June 2013.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Although SABBATH will not tour again, Butler, Osbourne and Iommi have not ruled out recording together.

Geezer is the third member of the original SABBATH lineup to release an autobiography. Ozzy's memoir, "I Am Ozzy", debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times' "Hardcover Nonfiction" best-seller list. The book was published on January 25, 2010 in the U.S., nearly two years after it was first expected to arrive. "I Am Ozzy" chronicled the legendary metal icon's life from his working-class beginnings in Birmingham, England to his initial fame with BLACK SABBATH to his massive solo career and forays into television.

Osbourne won the "Literary Achievement" honor for "I Am Ozzy" at the 2010 Guys Choice Awards at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California. Ozzy was presented with the award by Sir Ben Kingsley.

Iommi's memoir, "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath", was released in hardback in November 2011. It landed at position No. 35 on the New York Times' "Hardcover Nonfiction" best-sellers list. Da Capo reportedly paid a six-figure amount at auction for the rights to the 352-page book, which was described as "'Angela's Ashes' meets 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' meets 'Spinal Tap'" by Foundry Literary + Media co-founder Peter McGuigan, who completed the North American rights deal for the memoir.

Dark Angel will pay tribute to founding guitarist Jim Durkin with upcoming shows in Los Angeles and New York, performing the 1986 album, Darkness Descends, in full.





Dark Angel - Darkness Descends 2023:




April
14, 15 & 16 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom (with Evil Dead)


June
2 - New York City, NY - Irving Plaza (with Prong, Whiplash and Ready For Death)





"On Thursday March 9, everyone in the Dark Angel family was notified of Jimmy Durkin’s passing on Wednesday morning, March 8. Jim Durkin was the founder of Dark Angel, a major contributor to the music and was one of the founding fathers of thrash. He was known as the master of the riff with some of the most memorable and evil thrash riffs ever. Jim Durkin was family to all of the Dark Angel camp and will be deeply missed.


Jim had been sitting out Dark Angel shows due to personal matters since 2020. Jim requested Laura Christine as his replacement, and she has joined us at the more recent Dark Angel appearances, as he’d requested that we keep it in the family.


Dark Angel will continue to perform and record in Jim’s memory and preserve his legacy, as he requested before his passing." - Dark Angel


Gene Hoglan leaves us a quote about his fallen brother: "I miss you so much, my Brother. I never quite know how to grieve anymore. Had I known that our last few times together would be our last times together, I would have cherished them more. And you even more, Jim. You were my original guitar hero, my biggest influence, a truly inspirational legend to me and so many others. Had I, or any of us, only known that you’d be taken from us so suddenly, we would not have let you leave us…So suddenly. On tour, in my bunk, tears. Onstage, behind my kit, tears. Backstage, the thousand-yard stare. Tears. Realizing we’ll never share the stage in this physical plane again…the greatest void. You chose The Unicorn yourself to fill that void. Only now am I beginning to grasp the complexity and graciousness of your monumental gift. My love for you gives me strength to get through this. And you are so beloved by everyone who knows you, Jim. Everyone. I sure hope you feel this. Your spirit will eternally live on, Brother. Onstage, with us, your wings will always be right where they belong, on stage right. In life, you’ll always be in our hearts, right where you belong. At the front. Annie, Ron, Eric, Michael, Laura, Rob, and all of your friends and family love and miss you so much, Jimmy. I love you, Brother."


"Jimmy D was the very first person that I met in Dark Angel. Right from the start he was busting my balls! When I first spoke to Jimmy we were talking about the band that I had just left. Jimmy said “we saw your band, they suck but we loved you!” I laughed. Another great memory I have was at a Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies show. Someone told Jimmy., “I don’t like you when you’re drunk”, and without skipping a beat, Jimmy answers, “I don’t like you when I’m sober”. I almost swallowed my tongue. I can’t count the times where I would end up spitting something out of my nose!!! Jimmy would just laugh! He had the best sense of humor. From day one… we were Brothers… Yesterday, today and forever Jimmy will always be my Brother!!! Until we meet again!! I Love you." - Ron Rinehart


"Way back in ‘84, I placed an ad in the Recycler newspaper - “Guitarist seeking established band”. Jim Durkin called me, Dark Angel was his band. We instantly connected, and I will never forget that first phone call, the beginning of a friendship that would last 39 years. A lifetime of memories were created, and I’m devastated that we won’t be making more. Forever in my heart, my stage right brother." - Eric Meyer


"Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy. You and I go way back. I remember when I first joined DA and you would come over to my house to teach me songs. We’d sit out in the garage and run through the Darkness Descends set. I was with you the very first time you met Annie and fell in love with her from the moment you saw her. I was there when you married her. We have shared so many moments together that are just indescribable. I will miss you forever my friend, my brother, my family. Until we meet again, you will always be such a huge part of my life.  Good bye… for now." - Michael Gonzalez


"At the California Death Fest in 2018, Jim Durkin took me aside and said that he would be stepping down from playing live, and that he wanted me to take over his live duties for Dark Angel. Coming from one of my guitar heroes this was a major shock, followed by a mixed array of emotions. I felt honored yet greatly concerned for my hero. Nobody wants to see their guitar hero step down, let alone leave this earth. It’s a very heavy thing for me to digest. I love and greatly respect Jimmy and his playing so much, and it is a tremendous, immense honor to be chosen and encouraged by him to fill his spot. I will do my best to honor Jim and help preserve not only my friend’s memory, but also the Dark Angel legacy." - Laura Christine


Dark Angel adds: "Annie Durkin has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with Jim’s medical expenses and memorial. We strongly urge all to help her get through this hard time if you can."


Dark Angel is:


Gene Hoglan -Drums
Ron Rinehart -Vocals
Eric Meyer - Guitar
Michael Gonzalez -Bass
Laura Christine - Guitar


(Photo - Alex Solca)

Pro-shot video of Swedish bashers Sabaton performing at Resurrection Fest on July 1st, 2022 in Viveiro, Spain has been shared by festival organizers and can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Ghost Division"
"Stormtroopers"
"Great War"
"The Red Baron"
"Bismarck"
"The Attack of the Dead Men"
"Soldier of Heaven"
"Steel Commanders"
"Carolux Rex"
"Resist and Bite"
"Night Witches"
"Dreadnought"
"The Last Stand"
"Christmas Truce"
"Primo Victoria"
"Swedish Pagans"
"To Hell and Back"

Cyhra guitarist Euge Valovirta has launched a new series called In Depth via his YouTube channel, where he recreates a track (without vocals), plays it, and then goes through the production and mix. In the clip below he tackles Metallica's "Enter Sandman".





Cyhra, also featuring former Amaranthe vocalist Jake E and Kamelot drummer Alex Landenburg, recently released a new single, "Ready To Rumble". Check out the official video below, stream and purchase the song here.




The song will appear on the band's new studio album, due to be released in 2023.

Bloodstock Open Air organizers are releasing professionally-filmed footage from Polish extreme metal overlords Behemoth's set at the 2022 edition of the festival. The latest clip, for "Evoe", joins the previously released "Off To War" and "Deathless Sun". Watch all clips below:













Behemoth have announced their European summer tour. A message from the band follows...


"Legions! We have burst open the gates of hell to bring you ‘The Deathless Svmmer’. Alongside our massive festival appearances with some of the biggest names in metal, we’ve also put together some awesome club shows with a mix of legendary and contemporary artists.
We can’t wait to be amongst you, let the summer burn!"


Tickets on sale now.





Tour dates:


June
4 - Plzen, Czech Republic - Metalfest
8 - Gdansk, Poland - Mystic Festival
9 - Sölvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock
11 - Donington, UK - Download Festival
13 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 (with Vended, GAEREA)  
15 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
16 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop
17 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Ronda (with Hypocrisy, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT)  
18 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol (with Hypocrisy, SpiritWorld)
20 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage (with Hypocrisy, SpiritWorld)
22 - Oslo, Norway - Tons Of Rock
24 - Nummijärvi, Finland - Nummirock
28 - Viveiro, Spain - Ressurection


July
2 - Bologna, Italy - The Return of the Gods Festival (with Kreator, Pantera)


Metal Blade Records will reissue Behemoth's 1996 album, Grom on March 31.


The third release in the Slavonic Trilogy reissue series. Grom was originally released in 1996 and will be available on March 31 digitally, on CD, and vinyl with pre-orders for physical copies starting today. The reissue is beautifully packaged and is available on the following formats: Digital, 2 CD media book, and a gatefold 2 LP. Physical formats include bonus audio material and booklets containing exclusive archival content. Bonus content contains these following rarities: cover versions, rehearsals, and live tracks.


Comments Nergal: "Twenty-seven years since its first release, it's time to give Grom its time in the spotlight! Our second album now re-issued with plenty of archived, never before seen photos and liner notes. It's a beautiful collector's item. Grom remains a key piece of Behemoth history and I embrace it as much as any of our other albums. Behemoth would never be where it is now without it. Check it out and pre-order your copy now!"


Worldwide pre-order links here.





Metal Blade will release Grom worldwide, excluding Poland.


Gatefold 2LP:


- copper hotstamping
- 24p booklet


Audio:


Disc 1: Grom
Disc 2: bonus vintage material


24-page Booklet Exclusive Archival Content:


- lyrics
- old photos
- flyers
- interviews with former and current Behemoth members Nergal, Baal, Les, Zbigniew "Inferno" Prominsky
- interview with David Thierie, "Grom" cover artist
- interview with Krzysztof Maszota (Warrior Studio, Poland)
- interview with Carsten Molior of Solistitium Records
- interview with Orjan "V'gandr" Nordvik (Helheim)
- interview with Michal Kraszewski (Creator of the Behemoth 1992 logo, Editor of Euronymous zine, Amon Magazine, Vox Mortis Magazine, Novum Vox Mortis Magazine)


Mediabook 2CD:


- hardcover
- copper hotstamping
- 48p booklet


Audio:


Disc 1: Grom
Disc 2: bonus vintage material


48 page Booklet Exclusive Archival Content:


- lyrics
- old photos
- flyers
- interviews with former and current Behemoth members Nergal, Baal, Les, Zbigniew "Inferno" Prominsky
- interview with David Thierie, "Grom" cover artist
- interview with Krzysztof Maszota (Warrior Studio, Poland)
- interview with Carsten Molior of Solistitium Records
- interview with Orjan "V'gandr" Nordvik (Helheim)
- interview with Michal Kraszewski (Creator of the Behemoth 1992 logo, Editor of Euronymous zine, Amon Magazine, Vox Mortis Magazine, Novum Vox Mortis Magazine)


Vinyl Variants:


Europe:


180g Black
Stone Gray Marbled (500)
Gold w/ Black Dust (300)
Dust Gray Marbled (200 of 500)
Picture Disc -band exclusive- (666)


US:
Dust Gray Marbled (300 of 500)





Tracklisting:


"Intro
"The Dark Forest (Cast Me Your Spell)"
"Spellcraft And Heathendom"
"Dragon's Lair (Cosmic Flames And Four Barbaric Seasons)"
"Lasy Pomorza"
"Rising Proudly Towards The Sky"
"Thou Shalt Forever Win"
"Grom"


Bonus material:


"Freezing Moon" (Mayhem Cover 1995/1996)
"Total Desaster" (Destruction Cover 1995/1996)
"Ostatni tabor" (Kat Cover 1996)
"Rising Proudly Towards The Sky" (Rehearsal 1995)
"Dragon's Lair" (Cosmic Flames And Four Barbaric Seasons) (Rehearsal 1995)
"The Dark Forest" (Cast Me Your Spell) (Live in Maastricht, Pagan Triumph Tour 1996)
"Spellcraft And Heathendom" (Live in Maastricht, Pagan Triumph Tour 1996)
"Lasy Pomorza" (Live in Krakòw, XXX Years Ov Blasphemy 2021)


Lineup on reissue:


Nergal: Vocals / Guitars
Baal: Drums
Les: Bass


Current lineup:


Nergal: Vocals / Guitars
Orion: Bass / Vocals
Inferno: Drums / Percussion

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show", QUEEN's Brian May was asked how he feels about having recently been named the greatest guitarist of all time by the readers of U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I take everything like that with a pinch of salt, really, 'cause you can't say who's best. The nice thing about guitar playing is that everybody's different. You can't really rank people. Of course I've got my favorites too. But the fact that people put me in that position makes me smile. It's a lovely feeling."

He continued: "I'm not in the first million guitarists in the world; I know that. There's people I listen to every day that do things that I could never do. Nuno, I listen to Nuno Bettencourt [EXTREME] and I just smile because it's so beautiful and it's so way out of what I could ever do. It doesn't bother me, 'cause I don't feel in competition. I just love the guy and I love what he does. Same with Jeff Beck. Same with Eddie Van Halen. We worked together, and it was the most wonderful experience. My jaw dropped every time he touched the strings. It was just beautiful.

"So, there are so many wonderful guitarists. Steve Vai is just colossal, beautiful. And of course I still have my old heroes. Eric Clapton is still my hero. Jimi Hendrix is still my hero. Of course — it's always gonna be that way. Jeff Beck, to me, is something so exceptional and outside anything you could have imagined."

Regarding his own personal approach to playing guitar, Brian said: "All I ever did, really, was play the way I feel and make the guitar my voice. I play like I would like to sing. I'm not the world's greatest singer. I'm not the world's greatest guitarist either, but thank you for saying so. But I can speak with the guitar; I can make it sing; and that's all I do. It just comes inside.

"I don't think any guitarist should feel like they have anything to prove," May added. "It's not a competition. Kurt Cobain [NIRVANA] is a great example. There's not a lot of technical stuff there, and he didn't work that hard at being technical, and yet he gives us a legacy of some of the greatest guitar music of all time. So it's not about technique. It's about what you put into it and what you feel and how that feeling gets across in your guitar playing."

Earlier this month, May was officially knighted by King Charles. The 74-year-old King made the legendary QUEEN guitarist a Knight Bachelor during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London. May was awarded the honor for his services to music and charity.

May was previously appointed a CBE in 2005, while QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor was made an OBE in the 2020 New Year Honours.