Four months after the passing of Hawkwind founding member Nik Turner, the band's original guitarist and co-founder, Mick Slattery, has passed away at 77.


Hawkwind founder, singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Brock, who is the only remaining original member of the band, shared the following message via Facebook:


"We are sorry to share the sad news that our old friend, and Hawkwind founder member, Mick Slattery passed away peacefully at home yesterday, St Patrick's Day, 17th March 2023, aged 77, after a short illness.




Me and Mick played together in a band called Famous Cure in 1967, touring Holland  before going on to form Hawkwind in 1969. I have lots of fond memories from our younger days, playing together in Holland and hanging out in Richmond at the L'Auberge Cafe and Eel Pie Island.


In the late 60s, we used to rehearse in my upstairs flat in Putney and also in the basement of Bob Kerr's music shop in Gwalior Road, playing loud music, much to the annoyance of our neighbours...


Fly free old friend." - Dave


Slattery left Hawkwind in 1969 and was replaced by Huw Lloyd-Langton. He later worked with Nik Turner in the group Space Ritual, and with Hawkwind’s former bassist, Alan Davey, in Hawkestrel. RIP.

In a new interview with Mankato, Minnesota's "The Five Count" radio show, WARRANT guitarist Joey Allen was asked if there has been any talk of a follow-up to 2017's "Louder Harder Faster" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are actually writing right now for a record. So people are sending riffs around. You can do it on the Internet nowadays. We just have a cloud-based files system where we just upload ideas. And somebody will take an idea, a music idea, and put some lyrics to it, and we'll start to craft our songs. So maybe by this fall we'll dig into the studio again and [record] the follow-up to 'Louder Harder Faster', which came out, I think, six years ago this year. The recording process takes about four or five weeks, so maybe early next year we'll have something new out for everybody to listen to and back on the road we will go to support that."

Less than two years ago, WARRANT singer Robert Mason told the "Thunder Underground" podcast that there wasn't "a defined schedule" for the group's next studio album, but he added that he and his bandmates are "always writing."

In 2020, WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner told the "Talking Metal" podcast that the group was "throwing some ideas around" for a new LP. He said: "I've been sending Robert some riffs, and Robert's been working on songs. I've got a song going with Jerry [Dixon, bass]. So it's a slow, long process for us, but the seed of a new record has been started. Now, that doesn't mean the seed will grow into a record. We've got a long way to go. We don't have one finished song. We've got a couple of things cooking, and we're actually sending ideas around back and forth to each other."

"Louder Harder Faster" was released in May 2017. The disc was recorded with producer Jeff Pilson — a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others — and was mixed by Pat Regan, except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).

Mason replaced original WARRANT frontman Jani Lane in 2008 and has brought a degree of stability to the band after Lane's unceremonious departure and subsequent 2011 death.

WARRANT is rounded out by original drummer Steven Sweet.

Photo credit: Stephen Jensen/F3 Studios

In a new interview with the "That Metal Interview" podcast, MORBID ANGEL frontman Steve Tucker was asked if there are any plans for the band to work on new music as a follow-up to 2017's "Kingdoms Disdained" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm hoping so, man. We're tossing around some ideas and things like that. Right now, man, we really are just trying to knock the fucking rust off — get back out, do shows and get back to [getting] used to being in a band.

"There's a lot of social politics in a band," Steve explained. "You have multiple members, and sometimes you have to get back in that vibe, in that groove and get used to working together and around each other again."

MORBID ANGEL kicked off its 2023 U.S. tour this past Wednesday night (March 15) at Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola, Florida. The trek marks the band's first with drummer Charlie Koryn, who has previously played with ASCENDED DEAD, INCANTATION, FUNEBRARUM and SKELETAL REMAINS. The tour, featuring support from REVOCATION, will run through April 22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When Koryn's addition to MORBID ANGEL's touring lineup was first announced a few days ago, the band said: "This week the tour starts! Steve, Trey [Azagthoth, guitar], and Dan [Vadim Von, guitar] are excited to get back out there and pummel every audience, and helping us do so on this run behind the kit will be Charlie Koryn. SEE YOU IN THE PIT!"

In April 2018, Silver Lining Music released a special two-disc digipack edition of "Kingdoms Disdained", featuring seven instrumental demo tracks previously only available as part of the deluxe box set.

"Kingdoms Disdained" was released in December 2017 via Silver Lining Music in the U.S. and JVC in Japan. The disc, which reunites founding guitarist Azagthoth with Tucker, was recorded at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and produced by MORBID ANGEL with Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL, SIX FEET UNDER, BELPHEGOR).

Joining Azagthoth and Tucker during the recording sessions for "Kingdoms Disdained" was drummer Scotty Fuller (ANNIHILATED; formerly of ABYSMAL DAWN)

MORBID ANGEL in January 2017 announced the addition of Vadim Von (guitarist/frontman of the American death metal band VADIMVON) to the band's lineup on second guitar. He joined the group as the replacement for Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren),who left the band eight years ago.

Azagthoth made headlines in 2020 after he was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge near his home in Florida. Several months later, he pleaded no contest to reckless driving as a reduced charge from DUI. He was also ordered to complete "DUI School", pay a small fine and perform 50 hours of community service.

Singer Ryan McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL on Friday, March 17 (at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida, with ADELITA'S WAY and OTHERWISE),and Saturday, March 18, headlining the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida. Fan-filmed video of the Throwdown At The Campground concert can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a recent interview with France's Duke TV, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke about how the introduction of social media and the emergence of music streaming services like Spotify has affected the music industry. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In the '80s, when we started, it was all about the superstar. You'd never be seen, and people expected you to be invisible and unapproachable. People were pretending to be larger than life. There was a big mystique about superstars. And nowadays it's more, like, 'Hey, we're all in this together.' And social media helped, of course, with that a lot. People are much closer, the audience is much closer to the band, and we are feeling much closer to the audience, and I think it's just a sign of the times. But at the same time, yeah, the business of music has changed so much. It used to be all about album sales, and record sales was the only thing that mattered. And now it's ticket sales and merchandising and meet-and-greets, and it's just constantly shifting. And we're trying to shift with the times."

Hoffmann is the sole remaining original member of ACCEPT, which he formed in 1976 in the town of Solingen, Germany with singer Udo Dirkschneider and bassist Peter Baltes.

ACCEPT's latest studio album, "Too Mean To Die", was released in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

In an interview with Made In Metal, Hoffmann was asked if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their classic album "Balls To The Wall". He responded: "We've always stayed away from it in the past because we've always been so busy with working a current album or a new album. Five minutes ago [in this interview] you asked me about a new album [from ACCEPT], and now you ask me about [celebrating an] anniversary [of a previous LP]. So I can't do both. I have to [make] a decision [which way to go forward]. And usually we've gone with, 'Hey, let's make a new album. It's time for a new album.' And then we tour this album. So there's never been enough time to do all these anniversary tours so far. But that doesn't mean we won't do 'em one day."

Hoffmann previously dismissed the idea of performing a classic album like "Restless And Wild" or "Balls To The Wall" in its entirety, telling Metal Eye Witness in a 2018 interview: "Probably not. I mean, I've never been a huge fan of this whole idea. It seems to me like a marketing gimmick more than anything. Because in our age, we could have an anniversary every year. 'Cause it was 35 years [ago that] 'Restless And Wild' [was released], 40 years ago this, 30 years that — every year would be another anniversary — and, to be honest, we're so busy with promoting our current stuff that we don't really feel the need to do all that nostalgia stuff. Every year we have a new album, or every other year, and we've made four albums and a live album, so that's five, and I made a solo album — that's six releases in eight years. So I don't think we need to bother with any anniversary stuff at the moment. Maybe one day when we have nothing else, no other ideas. And we've done, actually, one show once where we played a complete album, and it was okay. But, quite honestly, I think we have a perfect setlist of old songs and new songs. I wouldn't rule it out, but at the moment, I've always said, why bother?"

Controversial at the time for its cover and some of the album's themes, "Balls To The Wall" was also ACCEPT's greatest commercial success, reaching No. 75 on the U.S. Billboard chart. "Balls To The Wall" was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of half a million copies, partly off the back of the heavy rotation the title track's video received on MTV.

Taking much of its inspiration from the likes of fellow German hard rockers the SCORPIONS, as well as a debt to U.K. metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT at the time was fronted by the inimitable Udo Dirkschneider on vocals, backed by lead guitar heroes Hoffmann and Herman Frank and the backbone of bassist Peter Baltes and drummer Stefan Kaufmann.

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 performing "Tears Of The Dragon", the first single from his sophomore solo album, 1994's "Balls To Picasso", at the tour's second concert, which took place earlier tonight (Saturday, March 18) at National Palace Of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria, 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:

March 19 - National Palace Of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
March 22 - Sports Hall Mirza Delibasic, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
March 24 - Hall Drazen Petrovic, Zagreb, Croatia
March 25 - Cancarjev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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.

California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER were joined by Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) and Mike Tirelli (RIOT, MESSIAH'S KISS, HOLY MOTHER) for a cover of WHITESNAKE's "Slide It In" during their March 16 concert at Irving Plaza in New York City.

On Friday (March 17),Bello shared a video of the performance on Instagram, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Hey my friends- it's the weekend, and maybe we have some time for some fun videos-As promised- here is the jam with my buds @steelpanther last night to the song 'slide it in' from @whitesnake. This came about when backstage my bud Satchel saw me going over a song I co-wrote with my buds @crobot called 'mountain' which I came down to jam with them. Satchel sees this and says you're gonna jam with us too right? You can't say no to Satchel, right? So we jammed this song and had a blast. So here is the first jam song of an amazing two song jam night with @mike_tirelli_musician on vocals. I'll try to post the video to the 'mountain' jam later if you guys want.. that was a great time as well.."

STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", was released on February 24.

The band's "On The Prowl" world tour 2023 kicked off in February and will run throughout North America through April. CROBOT and TRAGEDY are joining the band on the trek. STEEL PANTHER will take a short break before bringing the party to the United Kingdom and Ireland in May.

In September, STEEL PANTHER announced the addition of Spyder as the band's new bassist.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fifteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

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In a new interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green, vocalist Marq Torien spoke about why the BULLETBOYS original lineup fell apart in December 2021 following a two-year reunion. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm just gonna be really honest. I have a lot of love and will always have love for them, but there's nothing really to say. I wish them the best in their musical endeavors. I hold no ill will toward anybody. I love them with all my heart. I just was talking with Lonnie [Vencent, bass] a couple of days ago; we chat all the time."

When host Jason Green asked Torien if he has spoken to the other two members of the original BULLETBOYS lineup, guitarist Mick Sweda and drummer Jimmy D'Anda, Marq said: "No. I was taken aback by some of the things that they both had to say [after the latest split].

"Listen, I will never bash anybody or speak disparagingly about people that I love or maybe something that didn't work out musically," Torien added. "But like I said, I wish them the best with everything they do and good luck in this crazy business. But we move forward, and we've gotta do what we've gotta do."

Marq went on to say that some of the past issues between the other members reappeared once they got together for the latest BULLETBOYS reunion.

"I had a great time playing with them," the singer clarified. "I love them. We had great shows. I loved it. I walked into the thing for the fans, to do something really special.

"There was a lot of turmoil before I even came back to the band that I didn't know about," Torien claimed. "So when I walked back into it, there was already this friction of the three of them that they hadn't even spoken in months before I even came back to it — for things that they had gone through in some other project they were playing in. But I didn't know about any of those things. I came in with an open heart, ready to work and ready to do some things. We tried to put together something to release for the fans musically, and that was very difficult. I don't know why… It just wasn't in the cards at the time.

"You'll never hear me bashing those guys. I love them; I love them dearly," Marq repeated. "And I don't feel it's right, being in the business so long. You don't come up and talk disparagingly about people that you love and that you work with. And I don't. I have nothing but love for those guys. And like I say — not to be redundant — but I wish them the best in the future and the best in their musical career."

Last December, Sweda toldMarko Syrjala of Metal Rules about the dissolution of the latest original BULLETBOYS reunion: "Well, anytime we get together — and we've tried to do reunion things over the years — we know there's a shelf life. We know that there's going to be a moment when everything either implodes or explodes, one or the other. And unfortunately, it happened sooner than we had all hoped. There are some pretty interesting personalities in the band. Very strong, for better or worse. So yeah, it was really unfortunate that it came to pass. I was really looking forward to going out and doing a lot of dates that summer, and we had a lot of things lined up. But it's such that some people don't want to deal with that sort of negativity."

Sweda went on to say that "there are some very deep foundational cracks" between the original members of BULLETBOYS and added: "I'm never going to do anything with BULLETBOYS again. It's just been so… I don't know what the right word is. I suppose that it's just tainted by all the different people that have been in it. It doesn't even make sense for me to even think about it… And it's unfortunate because there was some good money coming with BULLETBOYS if we had stayed together. There aren't many bands that are all original. And that was a big thing — the promoters like that. But unfortunately, it wasn't to be. So yeah. And it's funny, too, because every time that happens, and it's happened a few times where I've had to leave the band again, it's like, 'Thank you. Now, I can clear my head. I don't have to take the calls. I don't have to stay up at night. I can just do something else.'"

Sweda previously opened up about his most recent departure from BULLETBOYS in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" more than a year ago. Speaking about the personal differences that ultimately caused the reunited BULLETBOYS to fall apart, Mick said: "It's very difficult to explain. I know there's a lot of external noise, I know that there are voices whispering in everybody's ear, and once everybody gets away from that buzz [from playing together], it starts to set in. I'm not gonna speak for anybody else, but you start wondering what's happening. And then you hear something happened and somebody did this or somebody did that or said this, and it all just starts manifesting in this… I suppose it is insecurity, I suppose it is distrust. And for me, I have to be able to trust the guys in my band; I have to be able to know that somebody isn't gonna go behind someone else's back and say something or do something. And that just starts to dissipate, I suppose, with the time away. It's funny — when you get back together, all of that just sort of subsides into the background because there's a bigger goal in mind and a bigger picture; you want to achieve that and you don't wanna let everybody down. So it's easy to overlook that. But there comes a time where it just feels like it's toxic and poisonous, and nobody needs that in their life, especially at our age."

When Sweda first discussed his exit from BULLETBOYS during a January 3, 2022 Facebook Live stream, he said: "In the past, I know it's been brought up that anybody who isn't in BULLETBOYS has quit on the fans. And that may or may not be something you'll hear in interviews or whatever. And trust me, it has nothing to do with quitting on fans and everything to do with just not wanting to travel down a path that is fraught with strife and distrust and bitterness and everything else.

"It's really, at this point in our lives, imperative — at least for me; I'll speak for myself here — that I just remove all forms of toxicity," he explained. "And I'm sure all of you understand it just can't be a part of my life anymore. And the fact that we were all original and having some good shows and having a great time playing the shows — there's no doubt about that; I had a wonderful time and I was looking forward to doing it all of 2022 — but once it gets to a point where it's poisonous, you can't have it in your life…

"I'm grateful that everybody understands, and I apologize to you. I was really looking forward to this being a nice run, being a nice year and finding a way to make our way through it. But that is not to be."

The original BULLETBOYS lineup made its live return in December 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Aside from one show in 2011, original BULLETBOYS members D'Anda, Sweda, Vencent and Torien had not performed together since 1993.

BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. As a collection of talented musicians, BULLETBOYS were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world. Unlike other rockers of the day, the BULLETBOYS possessed more hard rock-blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract.

BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut was released in 1988 via Warner Bros. and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned two hit singles, a cover of the O'JAYS classic "For The Love Of Money" and "Smooth Up in Ya", both of which charted on the Mainstream Rock chart and saw regular airplay on MTV. BULLETBOYS went on to release two more albums, 1991's "Freakshow" and 1993's "Za-Za", before splitting up.

The new BULLETBOYS lineup, featuring Torien, guitarist Ira Black (OF GODS & MONSTERS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH),bassist Brad Lang (Y&T, BURNING RAIN) and drummer Fred Aching (POWERFLO, BILLYBIO),made its live in January 2022 at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida.

In a new interview with Wes Styles of Rock 96.7 (WIHN-FM),FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho was asked if there are any plans for his band to release new music as a follow-up to "Boombox", FOZZY's eighth studio offering, which came out last May. Chris responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We released 'Boombox' back, almost a year ago now. And it's kind of a bad thing about a record, is you put all this time and all this heart and soul into 12 songs. Three of 'em are singles; all of 'em went Top 10. Three more of them we play live; they all go over great. And six of them just kind of disappear into the FOZZY song graveyard. And that bothers me because there's great songs there. So I think what we're gonna do for a while is just release singles. I think that's the business model we wanna do, 'cause I don't want these great songs like 'Omen' or 'The Worst Is Yet To Come', 'Army Of One' — all of these great tunes that if you have 'Boombox', people go nuts for them, and they'll never be played.

"I think we're gonna release another single probably in a month or two — or probably a little bit longer, 'cause we're still kind of [putting] the finishing touches on it," Chris revealed. "But it's awesome. And we're excited to do that — release a song every few months rather than two years in between a record that comes and goes very quickly."

Last November, FOZZY completed a 10-date U.K. tour. It marked the band's first live appearances since FOZZY postponed the remaining dates of its summer/fall 2022 "Save The World" tour due to a throat injury suffered by Jericho, who is also a wrestling superstar. According to FOZZY, Jericho sustained a bruised larynx in August at the AEW "Quake By The Lake" event in Minnesota where he squared off against Jon Moxley for the interim AEW world championship.

The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed two million views.

The 12-track "Boombox" also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals),Rich Ward (guitars, vocals),Grant Brooks (drums),Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

Fan-filmed video of Marty Friedman's March 18 concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channels Clyde Shenefield and Kosai).

The former MEGADETH guitarist has spent most of the last three weeks touring the U.S. as the support act for QUEENSRŸCHE.

Marty's tour with QUEENSRŸCHE will run through April 16, when it wraps up in St. Petersburg, Florida. Along the way, the trek will make stops in Anaheim, California (March 19); Chicago, Illinois (March 31),New York City (April 10) and Nashville, Tennessee (April 14),to name a few.

Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", came out in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

Marty's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo CACOPHONY, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now-legendary guitarist Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act MEGADETH before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.

TONIGHT!
Marty Friedman!
Saturday, March 18th!
#thewhiskyagogo #tonight #martyfriedman #whiskysaturdays #whiskymarch18th

Posted by Whisky A Go-Go on Saturday, March 18, 2023

MALEVOLENT CREATION's founding guitarist Philip Fasciana has confirmed to MetalBite in a new interview that he is working on material for the follow-up to the band's 2019 album "The 13th Beast". The next LP will be released on Back On Black Records in Europe and an as-yet-undetermined label in North and South America.

Fasciana said: "I am currently writing new songs for the next MALEVOLENT CREATION album alongside our vocalist/second guitarist Deron Miller (ex-CKY) drummer Ronnie Parmer and bassist. We are getting together here in Florida soon to record demos of the new material and rehearse a new 30-song setlist of songs from all our albums. Many songs have not been played live in a long time or ever, in some cases. We just have too many songs in the last 32 years."

Asked if fans can expect some surprises on MALEVOLENT CREATION's 14th album, Fasciana said: "Not too much. [I am] only trying to write some extremely heavy songs that will come across great when played live. Of course they are very fast with a few midtempo arrangements to keep the music interesting. I'm sure there will be some changes when we all get together to arrange the new material and lyrics that are being done by Deron Miller. I am really looking forward to recording this new material with Deron and Ronnie because they are both great musicians and understand the MALEVOLENT CREATION sound. We all just want to put together some great songs and have some fun. It will be a big relief to get all this new material sorted out."

Fasciana went on to say that he doesn't have any new songtitles or an album title to share yet. "A lot of things will change while arranging the new songs musically and lyrically," he explained. "They always do, so I don't want to announce any songtitles I have until we all have agreed the songs are completely finished and will no longer change. The album title will most likely be announced first so we can make sure all the song titles fit alongside the album title."

Fasciana announced Miller's addition to MALEVOLENT CREATION last October.

Best known as the former lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band CKY, which he co-founded in 1998, Miller also fronts the progressive metal band FOREIGN OBJECTS, the melodic death metal group WORLD UNDER BLOOD and the rock band 96 BITTER BEINGS.

Three years ago, MALEVOLENT CREATION parted ways with drummer Phil Cancilla and vocalist/guitarist Lee Wollenschlaeger and replaced them with Ronnie Parmer and Ryan Taylor, respectively. It is not clear when Taylor exited MALEVOLENT CREATION.

"The 13th Beast" was released in January 2019 via Century Media. It was the band's sole disc to feature Cancilla and Wollenschlaeger.

Former MALEVOLENT CREATION frontman Bret Hoffmann died in July 2018 after a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was only 51 years old.

Bret performed on the first three MALEVOLENT CREATION releases until he left the band after 1993's "Stillborn" album. Five years later, he returned and performed on "The Fine Art Of Murder" and "Envenomed" before leaving again and being replaced by Kyle Symons. He rejoined MALEVOLENT again in 2006 and appeared on three more of the group's albums, 2007's "Doomsday X", 2010's "Invidious Dominion" and 2015's "Dead Man's Path". He exited the group once again in 2016 and was replaced by Wollenschlaeger.

POISON singer Bret Michaels is putting the finishing touches on his new inspirational book titled "Bet On Yourself: Don't Crash & Burn… Crash & Learn", tentatively set for a fall 2023 release. The book will serve as a motivational, inspirational and entrepreneurial guide where Bret will take readers on a journey, highlighting lessons, pulling from highs and lows of his own life in an effort to realize the unbroken fighting spirit in all of us.

Michaels rose to fame in the 1980s as the singer of POISON, which still tours periodically. He later became a reality TV personality in such shows as dating contest "Rock Of Love" and on "The Celebrity Apprentice". Most recently, Michaels was one of the contestants on Fox's smash hit "The Masked Singer".

This past January, Michaels told SFL Music about the secret to his success: "Here's the secret from me. I have a book. It's my first one, there's three volumes. The first one is simply called 'Bret Michaels Auto-Scrap-Ography'. Just so you know, I made the book pictures that you could match to the stories. There's nothing worse than a five-hundred-page autobiography, but there's not one photo of the friends you're talking about. I'm like no, no. I want every story to be short, to the point and show the people and time stamped photos that I lived. But the secret for me, as I've said in the book, is that it's bet on yourself. Find a way to have fun, but you've got to get it done. Never, ever let go of being hands-on. That's my opinion. Again, I want to make sure I state, in my opinion, you got to bet on yourself. Who's gonna believe in me if I don't believe in me? You'd better realize it's not gonna be easy and when someone said no, it just made me come back fighting harder to prove them wrong."

Released in 2020, "Auto-Scrap-Ography" provided a humorous, real and raw inside look at Michaels's journey through highs and lows, and how he overcame every adversity life has thrown in his way: from his extremely humble beginnings, growing up in a small Pennsylvania town and learning to rise up in the face of adversity, battling a life-threatening illness daily as a type one juvenile diabetic; to the massive success as a solo artist and with POISON; to rocketing to the top of the music world, reality TV, and entrepreneurial branding; to the causes closest to his heart: his charitable and philanthropic efforts around the world; and continuing through present day, as Michaels was revealed as the fan favorite Banana on "The Masked Singer".

Bret, who toured with POISON as part of "The Stadium Tour" last summer, will hit the road in July for a limited run of live dates for his 2023 "Parti-Gras" tour. Michaels has created this tour with a Mardi Gras feel in celebration of his great fans and hit music. The renowned rockstar will bring a few of his rocker friends along for a mashup of all-killer, no-filler hits featuring special guests NIGHT RANGER and JEFFERSON STARSHIP with special appearances from Steve Augeri (former lead singer of JOURNEY) and Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),plus a nightly surprise guest to rock your world.

Presented by Live Nation, the 12-city limited date run kicks off on Thursday, July 13 at the one and only Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan; known for its epic concerts and parties, going on to make stops across the U.S. including at The Pavilion at Star Lake, in his birthplace of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania),Holmdel (New Jersey),Tinley Park (Illinois),Tampa (Florida),and more before wrapping up in Charlotte (North Carolina) at PNC Music Pavilion on August 6. The tour promises to be a modern-day throwback to epic tailgate parties, positive energy, and a much needed nothing but a good vibe.

DEF LEPPARD's Rick Allen has thanked fans for their "overwhelming support", less than a week after he was assaulted in South Florida.

The 59-year-old drummer and his bandmates were in Florida to perform a co-headlining show with MÖTLEY CRÜE at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel And Casino last weekend and he had gone outside the Four Seasons hotel in Fort Lauderdale on Monday (March 13) to smoke a cigarette when he was violently attacked by a 19-year-old from Ohio.

Police say the suspect, who was initially hiding behind a pole, ran toward Allen at full speed, striking him and knocking him backward and slamming his head on the ground and "causing injury."

The suspect, who is facing a charge of abuse to an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, was arrested Monday and has since bonded out of jail, records show.

Earlier today (Sunday, March 19),Allen took to his social media to write: "Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space.

"We are focusing on healing for everyone involved. We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy. We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people.

"To all of the fans, veterans, and first responders in our global community we are thinking of you all. Together with love, we can all get through these difficult times.

"Rick Allen & Lauren Monroe".

A few days ago, Fort Lauderdale police released 911 calls that led to the arrest of a man in connection with the Allen assault.

In the first 911 call released by Fort Lauderdale police, a woman working security for the Four Seasons called around three minutes after the alleged attack.

"Apparently a guest, some guy assaulted her and was actually beating her up in front of the front of our building," the woman told 911, adding that the female victim was in the lobby of the hotel but the suspect had fled. She didn't mention Allen.

Another caller who said the suspect was trying to break into his restaurant — the Wine Garden, which is near the Four Seasons — told 911, "Send the police here right now!…I'm sitting on a fucking suspect."

Another man on the same call explained, "I was sitting out front. This guy, I caught him throwing chairs inside our establishment and then he ran."

He said the suspect was trying to break the restaurant's window, and they chased him and caught him.

A third caller from the nearby Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Hilton said: "I have an individual who has been running around breaking windows and has beat up a couple of guests at the Four Seasons, as well." He added the suspect was allegedly "very highly intoxicated."

The police report, which was obtained by TMZ, says a woman came out of the hotel to try to help Allen, but the suspect also knocked her to the ground.

The report said: "While she is on the ground, the defendant continues to batter her by striking her. [She] attempts to escape by running into the hotel. The defendant then grabs [her] by her hair and drags her out of the lobby and back onto the sidewalk before fleeing the area."

The suspect declined to comment when approached by Miami's 7 News WSVN and was asked, 'Are you a DEF LEPPARD fan?"

Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident back in 1984, provided a sworn statement to police and told them that he wanted the suspect to be prosecuted.

Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren was thankfully...

Posted by Rick Allen on Sunday, March 19, 2023

Fan-filmed video of SLIPKNOT's March 19 performance at the Hammersonic festival in Jakarta, Indonesia can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channel Bahomar).

Last month, SLIPKNOT shared "Bone Church", a surprise standalone single, along with a M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan-directed video piece titled "Yen – Director's Cut (Bone Church)", which found the SLIPKNOT founding member refreshing footage from the band's "Yen" music video.

Having recently wrapped the third leg of its enormously popular sold-out "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, SLIPKNOT has just embarked on a run of headlining global festival dates, which will include their own Knotfest Australia, Japan and Italy festivals.

SLIPKNOT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released last September via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Six months ago, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor once again shot down the rumor that the band would break up after the release of "The End, So Far".

Ever since SLIPKNOT announced the title of its new LP in July, speculation had been rife that the name is a reference to the fact that the LP will mark the end of the band's recording career.

Taylor, who turned 49 in December, addressed the rumor during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "People have been talking about the end of SLIPKNOT since 2003, so it doesn't really matter. If I had a nickel for every time I've had to straighten fans out, I'd have a shit-ton of nickels, let's put it that way.

"Nothing sells albums like drama, let's put it that way, and even drama that doesn't even come from us; it just comes from the fans," he continued. "But at the same time, I kind of started saying onstage… explaining what the title is. It's the fact that it's… It's the end so far, which just means it's the end of one era and the start of the next.

"If you look at all of our favorite bands — [IRON] MAIDEN, METALLICA, [BLACK] SABBATH; you can even talk about JUDAS PRIEST; all these bands that we grew up on, loving; and our friends in ANTHRAX as well — every one of those bands has had different eras in their career; it's never been a straight line," Taylor explained. "There's no through line except for the members. And every era comes to a natural end and then it's the next one. So that's what the title reflects."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if he believes that each era in a band's trajectory usually corresponds to a major lineup change, Corey responded: "I do, but at the same time, you can still have the end of one era and the beginning of another with the same bandmembers. So, to me, it can be a reflection of the fact that you have different members or you're just moving in a different direction. For me, it's more about just letting the fans know that we will be back and to remind them that you just never know what you're gonna get with us."

Taylor continued: "I mean, every album has always felt different; it's always sounded different. And to me, I feel like this era is more about us dealing with the grief that we've had to deal with and now kind of getting to the point where we can now move on comfortably into the future, and it's not about that. It's a part of our history now; it's not our narrative. And now we can kind of move on and kind of see what the future holds for SLIPKNOT, musically where we can go now. Because of the way we've done things, we've set it up so we can go in any direction we want, and as long as it comes from the heart, it doesn't matter. So that's kind of the era, I think, that's being set up now. The next era will definitely be more of like a 'gloves off, let's just see what happens and go for it.'"

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of STATIC-X's entire March 15 concert at Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida as part of the band's "Rise Of The Machine" tour with FEAR FACTORY.

STATIC-X's setlist for the Orlando concert was as follows:

01. Permanence
02. This Is Not
03. Structural Defect
04. Black And White
05. Love Dump
06. Wisconsin Death Trip
07. Fix
08. Bled For Days
09. Sweat Of The Bud
10. Terminator Oscillator
11. Just In Case
12. Destroy All
13. Dirthouse
14. Get To The Gone
15. Cannibal
16. Terrible Lie (NINE INCH NAILS cover)
17. Cold
18. I'm With Stupid
19. Push It

STATIC-X kicked off the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour on February 25 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

STATIC-X recently partnered with master costume/prop maker Eddie Yang and his Deity Creative to evolve the look for guitarist/vocalist Xer0. Yang is a movie industry veteran known for his work with "Avatar", "Iron Man", "Man Of Steel", "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Robocop" and "Terminator: Salvation", to name just a few. Eddie got his start working with Academy Award winners Rick Baker and Stan Winston before branching out on his own in 2006 with Deity Creative. The updated Xer0 look — including the new mask and wardrobe — was the result of a collaboration between DOPE frontman and creative director Edsel Dope — who is widely believed to be Xer0 — and Ed McDonough from ECCO Studios and Eddie Yang. The idea for the new mask and overall image update was born out of a desire from STATIC-X to evolve Xer0's look to match the theme of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour. Xer0 unveiled his new look at the San Francisco show.

Says Yang: "I have always been a metal fan and have listened to STATIC-X since their first release 'Wisconsin Death Trip'. I am honored to contribute to Wayne's [Static, late STATIC-X frontman] legacy and to work with the band on their incredible vision for evolving STATIC-X and Xer0 into something that is truly unique. This project finally combined my passion for character design and metal music into one big check-off the bucket list."

"Eddie is a genius" says Xer0. "We wanted to evolve the Xer0 character into a more cybernetic/robotic figure for the 'Rise Of The Machine' tour and Eddie absolutely fucking killed it!!!!!!!

"Eddie took the mask to a level that we never imagined possible, and we are so stoked with the result," adds bassist Tony Campos.

STATIC-X's eighth studio album, "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2", is scheduled for release on November 3. The LP is a collection of 13 brand-new songs that contain the final vocal performances and musical compositions of founding vocalist Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup featuring Campos, Fukuda and Jay. The new album was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.

All of the music associated with "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2" is the result of collaborations between the four founding members along with their new vocalist/guitarist/producer Xer0. No additional guests appear on the album and there were no outside contributions to the songwriting, musical compositions, or the performances on "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2". Between the two releases, STATIC-X fans around the globe have been treated to over two dozen brand new songs — most of which feature Static on lead vocals — and all released after his untimely passing.

STATIC-X — featuring the lineup of Campos, drummer Ken Jay, guitarist Koichi Fukuda and Xer0 — will hit the road in 2023, headlining the "Rise Of The Machine" tour with FEAR FACTORY alongside DOPE, MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID. The 42-date trek kicks off February 25 in San Francisco, California and wraps up April 15, in Los Angeles, California. Dates have been selling out across the country, with select markets upgrading to larger venues to meet the demand for the tour. STATIC-X also recently revealed plans for a tour of Australia and an appearance at the Blue Ridge Rock Fest this year.

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

Dope recently told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the reason Xer0's identity has not been officially revealed is that he wants to make sure that STATIC-X is "properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of STATIC-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of STATIC-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of STATIC-X," he clarified. "There's one living, breathing singer of STATIC-X, and that's Wayne Static. And then there's a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow STATIC-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to STATIC-X and fits the branding of what STATIC-X is, and that's what the importance is. It's the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character."

Back in October 2019, a photo was posted online clearly showing that Dope and Xer0 shared the same neck tattoo. However, Edsel later posted a lengthy statement on his band's Facebook page attempting to quash the rumors, implying Xer0's distinctive body ink was in fact a Photoshop job. Dope even provided a photograph of himself supposedly observing a STATIC-X performance sidestage to prove he and Xer0 were not the same person.

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of FEAR FACTORY's March 15 concert at Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. It marked FEAR FACTORY's 13th show with new singer Milo Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber as part of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour as the support act for STATIC-X.

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

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

FEAR FACTORY's setlist for the Orlando concert was as follows:

01. Shock
02. Edgecrusher
03. Disruptor
04. Dielectric
05. Powershifter
06. What Will Become?
07. Archetype
08. Demanufacture
09. Zero Signal
10. Replica

The 42-date North American trek also features DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside Heller.

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl are expecting their second child.

Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

The Dutch-born vocalist revealed the news in a social media post earlier today (Monday, March 20). She shared a photo of her with Hannes and Freja, with Freja holding a sonogram photo of the upcoming baby, and she wrote: "Life is good! We will go from being with three to four! Freja will become a big sister! We are very happy to share this special news with you!!!"

Among the fellow musicians commenting on Floor's news were her NIGHTWISH bandmates, who wrote: "Congratulations. So happy for you!!"

Shortly before Freja was born, Hannes was asked by Spain's Metal Journal whether his family situation would have an impact on his ability to tour with SABATON. Hannes said: "Well, you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing will really change, 'cause this is what I do, an this is… this is what I do to make a living. People have had kids before in this business. So, to stop any worries — 'cause I know a lot of people are worried [about me] quitting the band — I will stay in the band. And as far as I can say, when it's time, I need to go and be there with my family. But when I've done that, I'm going back to touring. So I won't leave. I will be there."

Jansen herself had spoken about the challenges of raising a child while being in a touring band like NIGHTWISH. She told Finland's Radio Rock in 2016: "Of course, it's a very challenging combination, and I was very happy that the way [NIGHTWISH is] today — or, actually, have always been — it's a very open group; we can talk about things. And the guys, actually, were curious. A few months ago, we started talking about it, like, 'So, 2017… How about kids? Yeah?' So it's great to think about things together: how can we combine it? Also 'cause my partner is in a successful band, touring a lot. Yeah, then you need the cooperation of the people that you are family with also. So I am not afraid that won't work. It will be a challenge, for sure, but, yeah, a little SABATON or NIGHTWISH daycare program sounds lovely, doesn't it? [Laughs]"

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she would leave the band after welcoming her first child. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

Floor's debut solo album "Paragon", will arrive on March 24.

Following the release, Jansen will embark on a tour of The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in April and May of 2023.

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

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Veteran California rockers TESLA kicked off their five-night Las Vegas residency last night (March 17) at the House Of Blues. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of Tom deBlonk and RocknForever1 YouTube channels).

Remaining TESLA Las Vegas residency dates:

March 18 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
March 22 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
March 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
March 25 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues

Earlier this month, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon spoke to Christian Bladt of "The Bladtcast" about the band's upcoming live album, "Full Throttle Live!". Due 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. He said: "The live album is just about 99 percent done. The artwork, all of it, is created. We're just putting the finishing touches on it now, and then we'll put it out as soon as the computer distribution, all of that stuff, can be lined up.

"It's gonna be mostly rocking tracks. And it's gonna have our new songs 'Cold Blue Steel' on it, and 'Time To Rock!', our latest rocking song. And all the other songs on it are the more deeper tracks. There's no 'Signs' or 'Love Song' on it. It's got heavy songs on it, like 'Miles Away' and 'Breakin' Free', and stuff that we've never released live versions of until now."

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

Back in July 2022, TESLA vocalist Jeff Keith told "The Chuck Shute Podcast" about "Time To Rock!": "Like with all TESLA songs, we like to have that raw, live feel, and this song has totally just got that raw and live feel."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Time To Rock!", Jeff said: "It's that kind of song that just, you know, everything you might have going on when you go to a concert, you wanna just kind of let your hair down and this song is exactly about that. Just not let things go, but just drop 'em down and still hold 'em in your hands tight, but just let things go and let your hair down for four and a half minutes. Time to rock!"

Keith previously discussed "Time To Rock!" that same month in an interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast. Regarding the band's decision to debut the track during a live performance in early June 2022 — weeks before the song's official release — he said: "We wanted to play it live for our hometown crowd. We played Thunder Valley [Casino], which is right down the street from our houses in Sacramento; it's actually in Lincoln, California. But we wanted to play it for our hometown crowd first. So we thought we'd play it for our hometown crowd, and we're having so much fun with it, we're playing it for every crowd — some new material — and we're excited about that."

As for whether TESLA fans can eventually expect to see a new full-length album from the group, Jeff said: "Right now, the way things work — the guys were explaining to me — 'cause usually that's all you did was made a record, since I've been in the band. And they go, now, with social media or whatever you call it — Spotify, whatever the names are; I don't go on the Internet, but it's a wonderful tool to have these iPhones and you can release a single without making a [full] record. So so far we've just put out some singles. But probably in the next year — no more than two years — we're gonna go and say, 'Let's make a whole record again.' But right now, it's very convenient because you can just download a single. And the guys were explaining to me, they go, 'Jeff, it's just like back when THE BEATLES, and before that when people would put out a single on a 45 record. Like Hank Williams, he'd do something live and just put it out as a single. Back in the day, they used to just put out singles, and then, of course, they would records too. So we're kind of in that mode. And now, instead of it being on a 45 record, it's on a digital form that you can have people download. I don't know — it's the best I can understand it."

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.

Florida death metal pioneers MORBID ANGEL kicked off their 2023 U.S. tour this past Wednesday night (March 15) at Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola, Florida. Fan-filmed video of their concert can be seen below.

MORBID ANGEL's 2023 tour marks the band's first with drummer Charlie Koryn, who has previously played with ASCENDED DEAD, INCANTATION, FUNEBRARUM and SKELETAL REMAINS. The trek, featuring support from REVOCATION, will run through April 22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When Koryn's addition to MORBID ANGEL's touring lineup was first announced a few days ago, the band said: "This week the tour starts! Steve [Tucker, bass/vocals], Trey [Azagthoth, guitar], and Dan [Vadim Von, guitar] are excited to get back out there and pummel every audience, and helping us do so on this run behind the kit will be Charlie Koryn. SEE YOU IN THE PIT!"

The San Diego-born Koryn is a studio engineer and lifelong musician who currently work and resides in Portland, Oregon. While primarily known for his work within the realm of extreme music, his passion for performing and recording music has never been isolated to one genre and he prides himself in my strong work ethic and willingness to tackle any project he undertakes.

In a post on his official web site, Charlie says: "My knowledge and experience of the music industry is evidenced by my extensive background both in the studio and on the road. Whether it be tracking the performance that you've been seeking or putting the finishing touches on your final mix, I am confident that we can work together to adequately capture your vision."

In April 2018, Silver Lining Music released a special two-disc digipack edition of MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Kingdoms Disdained", featuring seven instrumental demo tracks previously only available as part of the deluxe box set.

"Kingdoms Disdained" was released in December 2017 via Silver Lining Music in the U.S. and JVC in Japan. The disc, which reunites founding guitarist Azagthoth with Tucker, was recorded at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and produced by MORBID ANGEL with Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL, SIX FEET UNDER, BELPHEGOR).

Joining Azagthoth and Tucker during the recording sessions for "Kingdoms Disdained" was drummer Scotty Fuller (ANNIHILATED; formerly of ABYSMAL DAWN)

MORBID ANGEL in January 2017 announced the addition of Vadim Von (guitarist/frontman of the American death metal band VADIMVON) to the band's lineup on second guitar. He joined the group as the replacement for Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren),who left the band eight years ago.

Azagthoth made headlines in 2020 after he was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge near his home in Florida. Several months later, he pleaded no contest to reckless driving as a reduced charge from DUI. He was also ordered to complete "DUI School", pay a small fine and perform 50 hours of community service.

NICKELBACK performed the song "Those Days" on today's (Friday, March 17) edition of ABC's "Good Morning America". Video of the band's appearance can be seen below.

NICKELBACK recently announced the 2023 "Get Rollin'" tour, in support of their most recent 10th studio album, "Get Rollin'". Produced by Live Nation, the massive run will hit 38 cities this summer, kicking off on Monday, June 12 in Quebec City, Quebec at Videotron Centre, with stops across North America in Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Nashville and more before wrapping up on Wednesday, August 30 in Belmont Park, New York at UBS Arena. Renowned country rocker Brantley Gilbert joins the band on all non-festival dates along with rising country artist Josh Ross.

NICKELBACK's first album in five years, "Get Rollin'" was released November 18, 2022, via BMG and debuted at No. 2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts. The record also landed on the ARIA Album Chart at No. 3 and in the Top 10 in the U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia and Austria. Additionally, "Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 1 in Switzerland, a career first for the band. The

With the new record, NICKELBACK continues their incomparable legacy as "one of rock's biggest-ever bands," as noted by Kerrang!, and furthering their legacy, they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame at the Juno Awards on March 13.

NICKELBACK's history dates back to 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, where they got their start playing covers in a band called VILLAGE IDIOT, a nod to the small-town nature where they played and grew up. In 1996, Chad, alongside Ryan Peake, made the 10-hour trek west to follow Mike to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the band still resides and continues to make music today.

The band's numerous smash hits, coupled with worldwide sales of over 50 million albums sold, seals their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second best-selling foreign act of the 2000s in the U.S., behind only THE BEATLES. The wildly popular smash hit "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's "Top Rock Song Of The Decade", which was a contributing factor in the publication's decision to crown NICKELBACK "Top Rock Group Of The Decade" shortly after.

Beyond their Juno Awards, the group has received nine Grammy Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award and seven MuchMusic Video Awards. They were inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame in 2007.
Was an early morning but always nice to be at @GMA and see @michaelstrahan!

📸: ABC/Paula Lobo pic.twitter.com/vwqHcxsgtr

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) March 17, 2023