During a recent episode of "Piers Morgan Uncensored", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and former talk show host and politician Jerry Springer took part in a debate over whether Joe Biden is too old to run again for U.S. president.

Biden, now 80, became the oldest living president the day he was sworn into office. He would be 82 at the start of a second term, and 86 at its end.

Asked by host Piers Morgan if Biden should be able to run again for president at his age, Simmons said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I don't think so. And that doesn't mean that I agree or don't agree with the politics. Politics aside, there should be a test to find out if somebody has their wits about them, number one. You're talking about the most powerful person on Earth. And also to find out whether or not somebody is absolutely nuts. There should be a qualification, a medical qualification and psychological qualification that somebody in charge isn't just going to go nuts and go like that or fall down the stairs when they try to go up on Air Force One."

Gene also suggested that the public no longer votes for the best candidate, picking personality over policies and therefore believes Biden's age might put people off.

"Look, let's call it for what it is," Simmons said. "I'm on both sides of the fence about all sorts of political issues, so you can't call me a rabid Democrat or conservative or liberal or any of that. I'm everybody's worst enemy 'cause I simply vote on the issues. But let's call it the way it is. The masses, I don't believe for a second, vote on political platform. They wouldn't be able to explain to you anything. It is invariably and intrinsically, and other big words like gymnasium, the cult of personality. When people saw Nixon with his five o'clock shadow before any of you were born — it was a TV debate between Kennedy and Nixon — and he had the five o'clock shadow. Nobody remembers what they stood for or who was a Democrat; they just didn't like that guy who looked like Uncle Joe who's drinking a little too much. So when people watch [former U.S. president Donald] Trump, who we both know, they have their perception, and when people watch Mr. Biden, and we've all seen him on TV and stuff, unfortunately, sometimes turning around to shake hands with people who aren't there or mumbling words. That doesn't mean I agree or don't agree with the politics. People will judge this following political battle based on personality. I have not met regular people who've been able to explain to me what the different political platforms are. So I believe Mr. Biden is in deep trouble [if he runs again]."

Gene added: "I just wanna say one one last thing very quickly. If I was on the other side, Mr. Trump's side — and I may not be, actually; I have lots of problems with him — somebody is gonna put together a greatest hits of Mr. Biden falling off bicycles, falling on the stairs, and not even talk about politics — not even talk about politics. And that person will win."

According to NPR, a recent Associated Press poll found that, despite Biden's lengthy list of legislative accomplishments and his party's historically strong showing in last year's midterms, just 37% of Democrats want the incumbent Democrat to run for reelection, with many voters saying Biden's age is a factor.

Biden, who works out five days a week, is fit and healthy, according to his recently completed annual physical. Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in his summary of the exam that "the president remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations."

Gene previously discussed his views on Trump, on whose "The Celebrity Apprentice" show he was once a contestant, during a November 2022 appearance on Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast.

"For the record, when [Trump] first ran in 2016 and got elected, I was happy," Gene said. "I knew the guy from before then, seeing him in clubs and stuff like that. And for the record, he had Bill and Hillary [Clinton] at his wedding and Howard Stern went to his wedding. He's not a politician. But my point, I wanna say for the record, and people will tell you who know me, 'Oh, yeah, Gene was happy that Trump won.' I was. I didn't want Hillary [to be president]. I thought, 'Oh, a businessman is coming in. He understands how to run things.'"

When Maher pointed out that Trump doesn't understand how government works and doesn't care to learn, Gene said: "I agree. The person that I saw first coming into power is not the person I saw within a year or two of that… But I changed, the way lots of people changed."

Gene went on to question Biden's fitness for the job at age 80.

"I thought Biden was gonna come in and be a major force," Simmons said. "I've got some big reservations about the man — not about his ethics and morality, but just about his physical ability to do all that."

After Bill expressed his surprise at Gene's "ageism," which refers to stereotypes, prejudice and/or discriminatory actions or practices against older persons that are based on their chronological age or on a perception that the person is "old," Simmons fired back with: "I am an ageist. I am an ageist, depending on the vibrancy and the mental alertness of what you've got. There's a certain age you can't look at a person and not say, 'Okay, you're X number of years old. Now, how sharp are you?' You're talking about the most powerful person on the planet… I'm not talking about policy. Communication skills are flat. There is such a thing as the cult of personality. And I like the man, but the ability to communicate a message is nil."

When Maher countered that Simmons is implying that words are more important than the deeds, Gene said: "Initially, yes. Because the first impression you have of a female walking up to you before you talk with her is the impression. And then you find out where and who and what she [is like]. As a male, you understand that. And the first impression I have of somebody coming on screen is the Nixon-Kennedy debate. [People] weren't listening to what the debate was all about. Nobody understands political platforms. All they saw was the five o'clock shadow of Nixon and the little beads of sweat. That's all they remember. And Kennedy was a good-looking guy who was able to put a sentence together. Do people remember what the political differences were? Not in the least."

Elsewhere during the chat, Gene went on to say that he is one of the more than sixty percent of the U.S. electorate which doesn't necessarily identify with a major party.

"Generally speaking, I'm a centrist," he said. "I don't like AOC [New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and I'm not a fan of [Vermont senator] Bernie [Sanders], but I think they're both fine people. I do like [Utah senator] Mitt Romney and [Wyoming congressperson] Miss [Liz] Cheney, I do like that, and both sides hate you for saying those things, because they both want you to align yourself with what the marching orders are. 'If you're a Democrat, it means this. You're a progressive.' I'm not a progressive. I know that business has to involve people who don't agree with you."

This was not the first time Simmons had been critical of Trump. Last May, he told SPIN: "I know the previous [U.S.] president," he said. "I knew him before he entered politics. Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top. Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it's all out in the open because he allowed it."

Simmons went on to say that he and Trump "knew each other" before "The Celebrity Apprentice", "in clubs and all that. You have a different responsibility when you're just a citizen or an entrepreneur," he added. "You don't make policy. It doesn't affect life and death. When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives.

"I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat," Gene said of Trump. "He's out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker.

"The current president [Joe Biden], I like the ethics and morality — not a charismatic guy, unfortunately. The first word I keep hearing from people, even friends is 'feeble.' I don't think he should run next time. So then who's around? There are no stars and invariably people vote for stars, not even what they believe in. The cult of personality. Americans are star obsessed: 'Kylie's got a new lip gloss? Fuck!'"

Simmons previously touched upon his feelings about the Trump presidency in August 2021 while speaking to Yahoo!'s Lyndsey Parker about the negative response he gets from some of his fans every time he shares his pro-vaccine stance on Twitter.

"It's been politicized," he said. "The gentleman who was in office, the former president [Donald Trump], I knew before the political world. It's the same person I knew before; the stripes of a tiger don't change. And the unfortunate thing is that… Look, we all lie to some extent, but what happened the last four years was beyond anything I ever thought imaginable from people who had lots of power — not just him, but the administration, everybody. And unfortunately, that disease — The Big Lie notwithstanding — has really infected a large portion of the population."

Asked to elaborate on his comment that Trump is "the same person" he knew when he was a contestant on Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" series, Gene said: "We were in a restaurant together, and I happened to be with an attractive young lady. And he walked up and said, 'Hey, Gene, you and I, we're exactly the same. We like the hot chicks.' That was a strange thing to say, but yeah, I guess that's true. But I think it's the same person. And maybe that was the appeal and continues to be. People are sick and tired of politically correct language and stuff.

"In a political dialogue, if somebody spews complete fiction and QAnon stuff, you wanna be able to have somebody who says, 'Are you out of your fucking mind? Did you just shit your diapers and forget to wipe it?'" Simmons added. "We're looking for that politician who just says instead of watching your language. Because the other side will spew garbage and lies and everything."

Back in 2019, Simmons said that Trump had "forever changed" politics. He added that "earth has never been in better shape" than it was in the summer of 2019. "I know — climate change and a polarized political thing — but there are no more world wars," he stated at the time. "I mean, imagine what London looked like 60 years ago. This is the best of times. Unemployment in the United States is the lowest it's been in 50 years — 5-0. When I rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange at their behest, the Dow [Jones Industrial Average] was about 8,000. It's almost 27,000 today. More people are working. More people are making more money. Unions are more powerful."

In the past, Gene had defended Trump's occasional off-color remarks and frequently outrageous statements, saying: "I don't know anybody here who hasn't said stupid things publicly or privately. You've said potty words and so have I. So I'm gonna give the guy who was duly elected a chance to show us what he can do, and then I'll judge his legacy."

Simmons said that he "didn't necessarily vote for Trump or [Hillary] Clinton" in the 2016 presidential election, adding that "it's really nobody's damn business" whom he voted for. "I think you'd be surprised by my choice — but he's President Trump, because even if you don't like the man, you must respect the office of the presidency and the will of the Electoral College," he said.

In 2017, Simmons confirmed that KISS was invited to perform at Trump's inauguration but turned it down because it was "not a good idea."

In a new interview with Metal Pilgrim, former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee was asked to share a particularly memorable "crazy" story that happened during his time with the band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's the hardest question you can ask me, because like Lemmy [late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian Kilmister] used to say, 'We are 'Spinal Tap' with no script.' Because there was shit happening — funny stuff — every single day. But I can't just take one [incident]; it's too hard because we had so much fun together, and there was so much craziness happening that today sometimes if I'm lying in bed thinking back on certain tours or whatever, I go, 'I can't believe that happened.' Today it's almost impossible to think because the world has changed so much with acceptance of everything. One thing I'm glad Lemmy [doesn't] have to experience is this fucking political correctness that I can't stand."

Asked if he thinks MOTÖRHEAD would be "canceled" today if the band was still active, Mikkey replied: "We would be so off the scale. I mean, to play a joke on someone and then to take a joke from someone, that is life; that's the way it should be. But today you can't say anything, really, before people freak out over absolutely nothing. And no sense of humor at all.

"So, I'm glad Lemmy doesn't have to experience this because he would be going fucking crazy," he added. "'Cause he was a jokester, and with MOTÖRHEAD we played jokes on each other all the time, and with other people. And we were good sports, and we could take any kind of joke back. So that's how we were. That's why a lot of craziness happened in a very funny way. But thinking about some of this shit, I go, 'Oh my God. If we would do this now, we would be in jail. We would be off this planet. They'd put us on the moon, for sure.'"

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete a European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

KINGDOM COME singer Keith St. John, who joined the band in 2018 as the replacement for original frontman Lenny Wolf, spoke to Italy's Poisoned Rock about the absence of drummer James Kottak from some of the group's recent shows. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "James needed some time off from the band, 'cause he's had some health issues. I don't really wanna say too much about it, but he's got some personal health issues [that] he's been working on resolving and getting care and everything."

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

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

"It was a hard situation, but at Sweden Rock the band wound up getting some negative reviews in the press, and it was largely because of the performance on the drums, I hate to [say it]," the singer admitted."

According to St. John, KINGDOM COME is in a good place right now, despite the fact that the band's recent shows have featured SLAUGHTER's Blas Elias behind the kit instead of James.

"I'm glad we are where we are, 'cause it needed to happen and James needs to get it back together so he's strong enough to play again," Keith said. "He was like next coming of [John] Bonham when he came out [in the 1980s], so he needs to be at his best. Even at an eight for James is a 20 for most people. Even if he's at seven or eight out of 10, then we can go and get that going. In the meantime, Blas is doing a great job. The band continues playing live."

KINGDOM COME played its first two shows with Elias in September in Texas.

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

Last month, St. John told Chris Akin Presents about Kottak's absence from KINGDOM COME recent shows: "James Kottak has had some health situations over the last year, and they've really been affecting his playing. Everybody in the band really wanted him to be able to continue and play, but he's just gotta sort some things out and wait for some stuff in his body to heal before he has the strength to play the songs [properly]."

Asked if there is any chance of the current lineup of KINGDOM COME recording and releasing new music in the not-too-distant future, Keith said: "It's gone back and forth. Rick Steier [guitar] and I have probably put more material together than any other combination 'cause we both live in L.A. And we were working with James too, but James kind of… Long story short, he's back down in Louisville, Kentucky, which is his hometown, and he's trying to get… He's got some broken bones and all kinds of stuff going on that… He had an accident and he's just trying to get himself back together before he comes back and tries to get back in the fold.

"The other guys, Danny Stag [guitar] and Johnny B. Frank [bass], they live in different cities — one's in Jacksonville, one's in Pittsburgh — and they're writing and they're sending over ideas all the time," he continued. "I mean, we have communication back and forth. So if we can put some of this stuff together and actually get the whole band in the studio for a couple of weeks or whatnot, I think we can come out of it with an album. I'm hoping."

In January, James said that he "jacked" his left hip up last fall when he "tripped and fell on the pavement." The 60-year-old musician discussed his latest medical setback in an interview with "Rimshots With Sean". Confirming that he was speaking from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was born and lived until 1987, Kottak said: "I came over here [to Louisville], actually, at the very end of October [of 2022]. I was just coming to chill out and hang out with my brother and sister. I was gonna stay for a couple of weeks. But I tripped and fell and really jacked my left hip up. I couldn't believe it. I'd never broken anything in my life. So I ended up going to the hospital and I ended up staying at the hospital for five, six days. So after that, I came over here to my sister's house and I've been here since. And I've really been enjoying it. But I've been back to the doctor, like, three or four times, and they're, like, 'You know, it's probably not a good idea to travel.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' So I've just been here and been going back to my appointments. I had one yesterday. And things on the up and up."

Regarding how he is spending his time while recovering from his latest injury, Kottak said: "One of my endless tasks is staying in shape and exercising and that sort of thing. Right now I'm just doing a lot of stretching. And I'm just now able to walk about — probably do about eight hundred steps a day. And that may sound like a lot, but I'm normally used to doing a whole lot more. So I'm here in Louisville, like I said, and I'm just really laying low and enjoying the time over here at my sister's house. And my brother's hanging out. And I've got all kinds of friends here. But like I said, it's been really kind of quiet here. But once I get back to L.A., there's things planned and there's always something popping up… Now we're past the New Year. Somebody will call about this or that. And then we're also planning KINGDOM COME shows and stuff."

He continued: "Man, that COVID thing came, and for the year 2020, KINGDOM COME — we had about 40, 45 shows booked, and everything got wiped out, man, even the European stuff, 'cause we were going to Germany and all over the place, even Japan. Everything, because of that COVID thing, got totally postponed. And a lot of the stuff that was postponed to 2021 and even 2022 never happened, 'cause a lot of places shut down, a lot of promoters went out of business. It really hurt lots of people. So we're just kind of picking up now where we left off and [talking to] our agent and trying to book some shows."

James went on to say that he is "doing great" and is very optimistic about his recovery. "Another two weeks and I'll be almost back to normal," he predicted. "And that's not what they said. They go, 'Look, give it three to six months.' I'm, like, 'No, I'll be good after two months.' … I'll be up and running here in no time. This is probably the worst accident I've ever had. I just tripped and fell on the pavement. And I didn't feel like anything bad happened."

In December, St. John told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that "James has had some health issues in this last — [it's] going on for about two years, I would say, and creeping up. And now he's on a break for a little while until he gets recouped and recovered from everything. And my good friend who plays in '[Raiding The] Rock Vault' with me out here, Blas Elias, has stepped in — Blas Elias from SLAUGHTER; he stepped in to take over the drums for now."

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

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

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

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

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

Five years ago, SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", the guitarist said: "James was a real good friend — and he still is — but we couldn't continue with him. We gave him all the chances, and 10 more. And it was something that developed over the years — the drinking habit. It came in waves — sometimes it was good for four weeks, and then [there] was drama, and if you know him, you know what that's like. Then if it affects the show, you have to go, 'Hmmm…' Because our drum riser goes up 21 feet, or 24 feet sometimes, if the venue allows it, and the production manager, or stage manager, goes, 'I can't have him go up there. It's too risky.' If you can't really walk down the stairs straight, you can't have that. So that affects your intro of the show, and that's not good — it's not professional."

He continued: "We were helping him — we were sending him to [the island of] Antigua [to Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center], and we paid for it, and we did everything we could, because we are extremely loyal. It's always hard if you work with somebody for almost 20 years to say, 'Okay, you've gotta go.' We'd rather do the opposite and try to keep him and help him. But we reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it. After three months or four months even — they gave him an extra month in Antigua, the rehab — he'd come home, we'd start again, and you can't even talk to him. So we had to make that decision. We had Mikkey on the road, so [James] didn't notice. So I rehearsed with [Mikkey] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] in the afternoon, just a backup; that was the original plan. But then there was no way we could continue with James, so we started with Mikkey."

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

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

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

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

"It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."
I think it’s time to chop off all this hair…what do you think? pic.twitter.com/dG6pQT0SLr

— James Kottak (@JKottak) February 4, 2023

Nikki Sixx has blasted Carmine Appice over the legendary drummer's claim that guitarist Mick Mars "was not happy" in the months leading up to his departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE.

In a recent interview with Andrew Daly of Ultimate Guitar, legendary drummer Carmine, who is best known for his work with VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS and Rod Stewart, stated about Mick's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "I've been talking to Mick, and he told me, 'When I was on 'The Stadium Tour', I was not happy.' Basically, everything was on tape; it was all planned out and ultimately a lot of crap. And Mick is a pretty good player, and so to now let him loose and play the way he wants, that was never going to work for him. The truth is that everything has been weird for a while with MÖTLEY CRÜE, and Mick didn't like that everything was on tape. Mick told me that people that came to see it could tell that it was all pre-recorded and that everything was on tape.

"When you play in a stadium like that, you can hear a lot of things come to the monitors or what doesn't. And with Vince's [Neil] vocals, bass, drums, guitars, and all the other stuff, it was obvious that it was all on tape. And Mick was pissed off and said, 'I can play these things. I want to play them. I don't want to make believe I'm playing them.' So, I think that's one of the reasons why he said, 'I'm done.' Sure, the disease that he has doesn't help, and it doesn't make life easy on tour, but Mick can play all the licks, and he was allowed to."

When Daly asked Appice to clarify that "Mick wasn't getting along with the rest of" MÖTLEY CRÜE, Carmine said: No, he wasn't. He had his own means of travel and would travel alone on a bus while the other guys flew everywhere. He said, 'Man, these guys are pissing their money away, flying to every gig.' They were all busy still trying to be rock stars, and Mick just wanted to play the music. Mick wasn't interested in wasting time and money flying everywhere, so he traveled by bus. Their lifestyles are different than his, and so there were a lot of disagreements. I think he was just done. They were supposed to have done their last tour, and then they came back. Then they did 'The Stadium Tour', and that was apparently supposed to be the last. So, when they came back again, he said, 'You can do it. I'm not going out with you for this.'"

On Wednesday (March 15),Sixx, who has not given any interviews about Mars's departure from CRÜE, apparently responded directly to Appice's comments, writing in a tweet: "Love how people talk FOR us without talking TO us. This is why the media has lost credibility. Obviously by printing BS they make money off of advertising and we're not into that clickbait game. When the truth comes out it will be FROM üs."

He added later that same day: "A washed up drummer trying to speak for us? And bottom feeder media running with it to make money off of lies? Welcome to the sad new world of LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME."

On Friday (March 17),Sixx took part in a Twitter question-and-answer session and was asked by one fan: "Is what Carmine Appice said true?" the CRÜE bassist replied: "A washed up drummer speaking for our band without any of the facts is as ridiculous as bottom feeder media running with stories without fact checking. When you hear the truth it will be from us."

Appice previously touched upon Mars's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE last November in an interview with Michael's Record Collection. At the time, he said: "[Mick] just gave up his seat in touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE. And John 5 is gonna tour with them. He said, 'Man, we did our final tour [seven years ago]. Now we're out again doing this major tour with DEF LEPPARD.' And he said, 'I don't wanna do it no more. I'm sick of being in a bus.'"

Mars announced in October that he was retiring from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time.

The 71-year-old Mars has struggled with Ankylosing spondylitis since his late teens and spoke about his first experiences with it in CRÜE's 2001 biography "The Dirt".

"My hips started hurting so bad every time I turned my body that it felt like someone was igniting fireworks in my bones," he said. "I didn't have enough money to see a doctor, so I just kept hoping that I could do what I usually do: will it away, through the power of my mind. But it kept getting worse. Then, one afternoon while doing my laundry. I started having trouble breathing. At first, it felt like someone had plunged a knife into my back. But as the weeks passed, the pain kept moving around my back. Next, my stomach started burning, and I worried that my whole body was about to fall apart. I thought that there was a hole in my stomach, and acids were leaking out and destroying my bones and organs. I'd grab hold of doorknobs, anchor my legs into the ground, and pull with my hands to stretch my back and ease the pressure out."

Mick told Metal Sludge in 2008 that his condition had worsened in the later decades and that he stopped playing guitar for almost two years. "Nowadays, it's not so bad, but back then when I was high on all that stuff and MÖTLEY were having a break, I knew if I didn't stop, I was gonna die. In the end, I had to go to a neuro-psychiatrist to straighten me up, and he said to me, 'Just hold the guitar for an hour a day — don't play it, just hold it.' It was pretty bizarre but I got through it, and in the end, I think I'm actually a better player because of it."
Love how people talk FOR us without talking TO us. This is why the media has lost credibility. Obviously by printing BS they make money off of advertising and we’re not into that clickbait game. When the truth comes out it will be FROM üs..#TheFutureIsOurs

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 15, 2023


A washed up drummer trying to speak for us? And bottom feeder media running with it to make money off of lies? Welcome to the sad new world of LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME. Up next for us, a stadium tour in Europe, Australia , Japan etc.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 15, 2023


A washed up drummer speaking for our band without any of the facts is as ridiculous as bottom feeder media running with stories without fact checking. When you hear the truth it will be from us.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 18, 2023


It’s a funny money game.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 15, 2023

On March 9, British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, spoke to Metal Planet Music 's Gary Spiller about some fans' initial reluctance to embrace his era of the band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that the girlfriend or partner analogy is the best. It's when your girlfriend or boyfriend leaves you for someone, and they are perhaps slimmer with more hair, more interesting and better looking, it doesn't feel good. And you lose your favorite singer from your favorite band, and I think that's awkward as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former ACCEPT bassist Peter Baltes says that he was "extremely unhappy" toward the end of his four-decade tenure with the band.

The 64-year-old German-born musician discussed his decision to leave ACCEPT in a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The statement that came from the band literally five minutes after I announced that I'm leaving [back in November 2018], that I wanna spend more time with my family, well, that wasn't true. No, no. I was extremely unhappy. And I found out a few things. I'd been in the band forever, and I found out in the end, in this incarnation of ACCEPT, I wasn't even really a member; I was a hired gun. And it's these things that come out where you don't have any input, insight, and you start getting bitter. And there's no reason to, but somebody else's ego is just so big or whatever — two of 'em — that it just takes them there, and they just need to control everything and have everything and you name it. That's what got [original ACCEPT singer] Udo [Dirkschneider] out back then, and I think in the end it hit everybody. So I was the last one standing, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed happiness in my life, and there was no happiness there. It was just a dead horse. So I left after the tour. And in my case, it was the best I ever could have done."

Baltes also talked about what it was like to play bass for U.D.O., the band fronted by Dirkschneider, on the group's fall 2022 European tour after U.D.O.'s then-bassist Tilen Hudrap was hospitalized after the band's show in Munich, Germany.

"In retrospect, when I stepped on stage in Berlin [in September 2022] with Udo after so many years — the last time was 2005, I think — it was a moment that I can't even describe it," Peter said. "We went on stage first, and then Udo comes, and he starts singing. And the first note brought me back instantly to our days when we played little clubs. The man is such a legend, and his voice… And it's nothing to do with you're short, you're tall, you're fat, you're skinny, none of that — you're in shape or you're not — none of that matters to me, to him and the audience. [What is important is] when something is authentic. And that's what got me at that moment. I was, like, 'Man, this is the real deal.' I wasn't used to that; I wasn't. I totally forgot. And you can into this where you think, 'We've been doing this all our life.' No, we didn't. We played kind of like it, with people that kind of sound like it. But no. He's the real deal, and the power that comes out of his voice is second to none. Sheer power, meaning volume, power. Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] has power. When he sings, you can see it — he has power. Some singers, they have power. And Ronnie [James Dio] had power. Udo has power. That's certain power that just captivates you in your ears, in your stomach, and you go with it."

Baltes was replaced in ACCEPT by Martin Motnik.

Two years ago, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he had had a chance to talk to Peter since his departure from ACCEPT and if he had gotten clarification on why Baltes left the group. Wolf said: "No, man. That's kind of the sad part about it. He kind of made that decision alone, and we never really had a sitdown and a man-to-man talk that I was hoping we'd have. He just announced it to the world, and that was it, and at that point, it was almost too late. I have to respect his decision.

"I miss him very much, and I think he's always gonna be my buddy or whatever," Wolf continued. "But right now, we don't really have much in common. Because when somebody leaves the band, it's usually that we never really see them much again, as sad as it is. I wish we would, and maybe one day we will. But right now, we don't, really. But we didn't have any fights or anything. I can only speculate why he left the band, but I'd rather not."

Hoffmann was also asked if he was surprised to see Baltes working with Udo on some new music in 2020. He responded: "Yeah, I probably shouldn't say much about that. Again, I can only speculate what that was all about. At the end of the day, we do our thing, and everybody has to know for themselves what they wanna do. Yeah, let me not say as much about that as I can, please."

In January 2021, Hoffmann told Australia's Metal Mal that he was "a little bit heartbroken" when Baltes left ACCEPT. "I felt it was not only a sad day for ACCEPT, it was also a sad day for rock and roll, or heavy metal, in general, because I thought we were gonna be doing this until the sun goes down — I don't know; until forever," he said. "But he all of a sudden decided otherwise, and he made that decision, and that was it. And that's sad, but what can you do, man? I decided, along with everybody else, the show must go on, and we continue without him. So this is what we did. And here's the new album — without Peter. But it's still sad. I still miss him sometimes. It's just the way it is."

In November 2019, Hoffmann told Powermetal.cl that he no longer kept in touch with Baltes after the bassist exited the group a year earlier. "Unfortunately, when somebody leaves the band, they're always kind of out of sight, out of mind," Wolf explained. "It's very sad. I wish it wasn't that way, because we've been friends for so long. But the reality is I haven't really heard from him — even though I reached out a couple of times. He's almost like he wants to disappear or he wants to leave the music business altogether. It's sad and I still don't quite understand what really happened. But it is what it is, and we move on."

Three years ago, Baltes and former ACCEPT drummer Stefan Kaufmann were part of the songwriting team for U.D.O.'s album called "We Are One", a collaboration with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, the military band of the German federal armed forces.

In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, legendary rocker Alice Cooper discussed some of the new music he has been working on. He said: "Well, there's a new album coming out with my touring band right now. I wanted to show off the touring band, so we wrote songs, went in the studio, and I said, 'Here's the deal on this album: No overdubs.' I said, 'Everything has to be done in the studio live because the whole idea of this album is showing off how good this band is live.' So when you hear this album, it sounds like a studio album, but it's actually them playing live in the studio. That album will be coming out."

Alice also confirmed that he has worked on new material with some of the other members of the original ALICE COOPER band, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith.

"The thing with the original band is when we broke up, we never broke up with any bad blood," Alice explained. "We went to high school together, we were on the cross country and track team together, things like that. There was never bad blood between any of us, and we always ... I mean, I would ask Dennis, 'Dennis, could you come in and play bass on this song?' 'Yeah. Could you sing on this song? I've got a thing going on with this band that I'm in.' 'Okay.' So there was never that like, 'Oh, I'm never gonna talk to him again,' or 'I'm never gonna work with him again.' So we've always been writing. Neal Smith will send me three or four songs and I'll do some writing lyrics on it and send it back to him, and he has his own band. Dennis is in two or three bands. Mike, they're always working musicians. So when we write 10 or 12 songs, I don't know exactly what that's going to be, but I know that those songs exist now. So I'm thinking about in the future, that would be kind of a cool thing."

Last year, Cooper told Germany's Rolling Stone that he was working on two new albums with longtime producer Bob Ezrin. "A lot of those were born during the plague," he said. "We couldn't go touring for 18 months, so what's a musician gonna do? Well, they're going to write songs. Everybody has a studio in their house. So we were writing songs and doing demos. And at the end of this whole thing, I got in touch with Bob and said, 'Here's 30 songs.' And we decided, 'Okay, let's do two albums.' But the two albums are definitely two different angles of coming in to Alice Cooper. One is very hard rock; the other one is hard rock but it's twisted. And that's all I can say about it right now, because there's a couple of really important things about both albums."

Cooper previously spoke about his new music during an appearance in January 2022 on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'm working on two albums right now, actually — two studio albums," he said. "They're two entirely different kinds of albums, but they're Alice Cooper pure rock and roll albums. The two albums will really be hard rock albums."

At the time, the now-75-year-old singer expressed hope that the first of his new LPs would arrive later that year. "It's kind of like the old days when you're touring and putting out records at the same time," Alice explained. "It kind of takes me back to when you're doing 'Love It To Death' and then you tour for 'Love It To Death'. While you're doing 'Love It To Death', you're writing 'Killer'. When 'Love It To Death' is over, 'Killer' comes out and then you go support that. And while you're doing 'Killer', you're writing 'School's Out'. So we're kind of piggybacking everything. And I kind of like that. It keeps everything moving. I don't like those big chunks of time when there's nothing going on."

Released in February 2021, "Detroit Stories" was recorded with Ezrin, mostly in Royal Oak with Detroit musicians and featuring a mix of original material alongside covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder's DETROIT and OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY.

In 2018, Cooper issued "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris", a recording of his December 7, 2017 concert at the world-renowned Olympia venue in France.

Alice also released two albums with HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, 2015's "Hollywood Vampires" and 2019's "Rise".

Former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young has weighed in the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. Speaking to the "Brutally Delicious" podcast about the current run of U.S. shows with KINGS OF THRASH, in which he is joined by another former MEGADETH member, bassist David Ellefson, Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[It's] post-scamdemic, and everyone's acting retarded in the wake of it… We're doing great, but you can definitely feel the difference in the world, in the business. And the attendance, even for bigger bands — I don't wanna name any, but think of some big bands that are out right now with attendance 60 percent of what they would normally do, which would be sell out. And I think it's partially because people have been so entrained after the scamdemic to just stay in their house, which was exactly part of their intent that they did that — but just stay home, don't go out and be afraid to go out in public… Plus the money — people don't have the same money that they had pre-scamdemic, because a lot of the mom-and-pops where people worked. So I think people don't have the luxury, as much as they used to, to go out and enjoy concerts, even if they want to. Having said that, we're really blessed that we've got really hardcore people coming out. We just played in a small town in Pennsylvania and had 18 VIPs. And that ain't cheap. And that's quite a few VIPs to come shell out that kind of money to come meet us after soundcheck and just get stuff signed.

"So we're really excited," Young continued. "We're a brand new band with no record out. Of course our DVD, CDs are coming out here [on] March 24th. But [we have] no single on the radio. No track record other than the four gigs we did back in October. So we're kind of doing this in an unorthodox way, kind of making up our own rules as we go along. And it's working. We're getting ready to go to Australia. We've got four dates in Australia. We'll be announcing soon Mexico, later South America, et cetera, and more U.S. dates."

As previously reported, KINGS OF THRASH will release a live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" on March 24 via Cleopatra Records. The 17-song set, featuring performances of MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!", was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and includes an appearance by another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar). The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment.

KINGS OF THRASH' "Thrashin' USA" tour is crossing the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, is performing "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety. Support on all shows is coming from HATRIOT.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly two years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

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

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

Fans of American metal act, Iced Earth, have long hoped for a new sign of life from their icons. On April 28, the wait will be over at last.


The band has announced the release of two new EPs via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Entitled Hellrider and I Walk Among You, these releases will include rare recordings from the transition phase between singer Tim "Ripper" Owens' and predecessor/successor Matt Barlow in 2007 and 2008, a particularly exciting and eventful period in Iced Earth’s band history.


The Hellrider’EP consists of the songs "Prophecy", "Birth Of The Wicked" and "The Coming Curse", originally from the album Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998). In late summer 2007, all three tracks were re-recorded, featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens.




The second EP, I Walk Among You, includes the studio tracks "Setian Massacre", "A Charge To Keep" and "The Clouding" from the 2007 album Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part I), which were remixed and remastered in 2008 and feature the recently-returned Matt Barlow. In addition, there are the live tracks "Dark Saga", "Pure Evil" and "Iced Earth", cut at the 2008 Graspop Metal Meeting and also featuring Barlow.


They have released an official lyric video and digital single for the 2007 re-recorded version of "Prophecy" feat. Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens.





Hellrider line-up:
Jon Schaffer – rhythm, lead, bass guitars, backing vocals
Tim Owens – lead vocals
Brent Smedley - drums
Tim Mills – guitar solos


Iced Earth comment on the EPs: “Before now, these releases hadn’t been issued on anything other than CD. Now they’ve been remastered, with new artwork, new mastering, new formats on vinyl, picture disc, and they’ll be available for digital download for the first time.”


Both EP’s will be released on April 28 on various vinyl formats and will also be released as a two-in-one digipack CD and 2LP picture disc combo. Pre-order the EPs here.





Hellrider (feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens) tracklisting:


Side A:


"Prophecy"
"Birth Of The Wicked"
"The Coming Curse"


Side B:


Exclusive Etching





I Walk Among You (feat. Matt Barlow) tracklisting:


Side A:


"Setian Massacre"
"A Charge to Keep"
"The Clouding"


Side B:


"Dark Saga" (Live at Graspop 2008)
"Pure Evil" (Live at Graspop 2008)
"Iced Earth" (Live at Graspop 2008)


CD tracklisting:


Hellrider (feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens):


"Prophecy"
"Birth Of The Wicked"
"The Coming Curse"


I Walk Among You (feat. Matt Barlow):


"Setian Massacre"
"A Charge to Keep"
"The Clouding"
"Dark Saga" (Live at Graspop 2008)
"Pure Evil" (Live at Graspop 2008)
"Iced Earth" (Live at Graspop 2008)


2LP picture disc tracklisting:


Side A:


Hellrider (feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens)


"Prophecy"
"Birth Of The Wicked"
"The Coming Curse"


Side B:


Exclusive Artwork


Side C:


I Walk Among You (feat. Matt Barlow)


"Setian Massacre"
"A Charge to Keep"
"The Clouding"


Side D:


"Dark Saga" (Live at Graspop 2008)
"Pure Evil" (Live at Graspop 2008)
"Iced Earth" (Live at Graspop 2008)

Swedish black metal legends, Dark Funeral, performed "Leviathan", from their 2022 album, We Are The Apocalypse, during their set at Bloodstock 2022. Watch professionally-filmed footage below:





Watch the band perform "Nail Them To The Cross" at the same show:







The longest-running metal tour in North America is back. The Decibel Magazine Tour returns in May as Dark Funeral headline Decibel's now decade-plus annual trek. Tour support comes from California progressive death/grind heroes Cattle Decapitation, Ohio death metal destroyers 200 Stab Wounds and Adirondack atmospheric black metal phenom Blackbraid.


"North America, we will soon meet again. And this time we're coming back to headline the epic Decibel Magazine Tour - what an honor," says Dark Funeral guitarist/founder Lord Ahriman. "We have already prepared a new and absolutely amazing setlist. You will be in for a massive treat this time, no doubt."


"Excited to be hitting the USA again and playing more than just one new song this time," exclaims Cattle Decapitation vocalist Travis Ryan. "Dark Funeral are great guys, and we look forward to jamming alongside them; Metal Blade Records has told us many good things about labelmates 200 Stab Wounds so it will be good to finally meet and see them! What Blackbraid is doing is super sick, and we do love our black metal, so all in all its looking to be quite an awesome run!"


Tickets for the 2023 Decibel Magazine Tour are on sale here





Tour dates:


May
11 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
12 - Nile Theater - Mesa, AZ
13 - El Rey - Albuquerque, NM
15 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
16 - Empire Control Room - Austin, TX
17 - The Warehouse - Houston, TX
19 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
20 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
21 - The Underground - Charlotte, NC
23 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
24 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY *
26 - Club Soda - Montreal, QC
27 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
28 - Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
30 - The Metro - Chicago, IL
31 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN


June
2 - The Summit - Denver, CO
3 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
5 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
6 - The Vogue Theater - Vancouver, BC
7 - The Roseland Ballroom -Portland, OR
9 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
10 - Regent Theater - Los Angeles, CA


* no Blackbraid

Guitarist Toby Knapp recently completed work on a 3-song EP, with a bonus fourth track, a cover of UFO'S "Dance Your Life Away", originally released on a Michael Schenker-era UFO tribute album in the early 2000s.


States Knapp: "This is just fun instrumental heavy metal guitar music. It's got a raw sound and reminds me of how I played and wrote music in my teenage years. That feeling is back; just making music because you love it and you have to. It's dedicated to the memory of Jeff Beck because his guitar work was one of my earliest influences and I always followed what he was doing for inspiration. I couldn't help but emulate him more than a few times on this EP.


The Merciless Regime EP will be released via Shredguy Records in limited quantities.







Tracklisting:


"Delerium Hierarchy"
"The Law of Malice"
"No Raid at Dawn"
"Dance Your Life Away"


The EP release will coincide with the release of Onward's comeback album, Of Epoch And Inferno, on vinyl. Waxen's sixth album, Die Macht Von Hassen, will hit the streets shortly thereafter.

International power metal band, Ashrain, have reveald a video for "I Still Burn", the second single from the band's debut album, Requiem Reloaded, set for international release on April 14 via Metalville Records. Watch the clip below.





Ashrain is a newly formed power metal band, founded by guitarist and producer Nozomu Wakai (Destinia / Shortino / Sigh). Nozomu as Destinia released an album titled Metal Souls in 2018, featuring the likes of Tommy Aldridge, Marco Mendoza, and Ronnie Romero. He also worked with Paul Shortino and his band Shortino, and was also featured on the latest Alcatrazz album. In addition, Nozumu has worked as a guitarist for the well-known Japanese black metal band Sigh and has performed at festivals such as Brutal Assault 2022 and Candelabrum (Mexico) 2022.




In 2020, Nozomu began recording new material with his long-time friend Peter Baltes (ex-Accept). They were later joined by Iuri Sanson (ex-Hibria) and Andy C (ex-Lords Of Black). Ashrain was born, and the strong debut Requiem Reloaded was completed. The album was mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM) at Domination Studio. It also features Elyes Bouchoucha (Myrath) as guest keyboardist. Requiem Reloaded presents beautiful, impressive melodies, guitars with bite, and a fat bass - everything that good power metal needs.





Tracklisting:


"Are You Ready For Rock?"
"Requiem For Screamer"
"Put On The Trigger"
"I Still Burn"
"Break Through The Fire"
"Symphony Of Despair"
"Believe"
"No Surrenders"
"The End Of Sorrow"
"We Fight To Win"


"I Still Burn" video:





"Put On The Trigger" video:





Lineup:


Iuri Sanson - vocals
Nozomu Wakai - guitar
Peter Baltes - bass
Andy C - drums

According to Metal Edge, singer Ryan McCombs has rejoined DROWNING POOL.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, will play 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.

McCombs 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 earlier today, 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."

THUNDERMOTHER has recruited Joan Massing (HONEY CREEK) as its new drummer.

Massing's addition to THUNDERMOTHER's lineup comes more than a month after it was announced that singer Guernica Mancini, drummer Emlee Johansson and bassist Mona Lindgren were exiting the acclaimed Swedish all-girl act and would form a new band together. At the same time, guitarist Filippa Nässil revealed that she would continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup featuring singer Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) and returning bassist Majsan Lindberg.

Earlier today (Thursday, March 16),Nässil shared an Instagram photo of her with Massing, and she captioned it: "My pal @joanmassing Now in @thundermother".

In recent weeks, Mancini, who joined THUNDERMOTHER in 2017, gave several interviews in which she described her time with the group as "six tough years" and "a very bumpy ride". She also said that Filippa decided to fire her from the band without consulting the other members of THUNDERMOTHER, a move which they perceived as "very disrespectful towards them, being that they believed that we were a democracy and that we had a say in these things," according to Guernica.

Earlier this week, Nässil shared a six-minute video in which she addressed some of the questions surrounding the departures of Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren as well as her decision to carry on with a new lineup. She said in part: "Some stuff you read online and even now in some magazines is true and some stuff has more to it," she explained. "I mean, there's a depth to what happened and it's impossible to read in a few lines or a quote from someone. And I wanna assure you and tell you guys that I did my absolute best to work everything out between the old members. I think we should be conscious in what we're saying and trust that I have done my absolute best for peace, love and rock and roll and I did everything in my power to work it out with the previous bandmembers.

"I would never throw anybody under the bridge. I think that's another private matter. What happened has been behind the curtain, so to speak, so it's not everything that people need to know about or should know about because it's just unnecessary to throw stuff at each other, I think."

"I'm thrilled to have Majsan back, who's done hundreds of shows with me in THUNDERMOTHER. She's the THUNDERMOTHER bass player. And I'm thrilled to have Linnéa Vikström, my friend since many, many years, on vocals. And we have a great new drummer we will announce soon. She likes great bands like CLUTCH, FOO FIGHTERS, BLACK CROWES and stuff like that, so a really groovy drummer. And I can't wait for the future."

Nässil went on to say that all the previously announced THUNDERMOTHER concerts "will happen. Not a single canceled show. Everyone has faith in THUNDERMOTHER and so should you.

"We are super stoked to tour with the SCORPIONS in Europe again and doing our own shows," she added. "So that's something we're doing right now — rehearsing."

According to Filippa, she and her new bandmates are "hoping to release a new song before" they hit the road, but she acknowledged that this may be hard to pull off as "it's crazy hectic right now."

Earlier this month, Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren announced that they have launched a new band called THE GEMS. Mancini and Lindgren told Germany's Metal Hammer magazine that THE GEMS, which sees Lindgren returning to her original instrument, the guitar, is planning to release its debut single, "Phoenix", in April. Mancini and Lindgren also noted that THE GEMS' live performances will include material from THUNDERMOTHER's last two albums, 2020's "Heat Wave" and 2022's "Black And Gold", both of which featured songwriting contributions from Guernica and Emlee.

Following the release of their latest album, "Black And Gold", last summer and countless live shows alongside an extensive tour with iconic SCORPIONS in North America last fall, THUNDERMOTHER recently announced plans to team up with SCORPIONS for more European live dates, as well as headline gigs on the "Black And Gold" tour 2023.

"Black And Gold" was recorded at Baggpipe Studios in Stockholm, and was mixed and mastered by Søren Andersen at Medley Studios in Copenhagen.

Image credit: Jonas Münster

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Former MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover and his brother, and fellow ex-MEGADETH member, Glen Drover, have set WITHERING SCORN as the name of their new project. The band also features former FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase and German singer Henning Basse, who has previously played with FIREWIND, METALIUM and MAYAN.

In a January 2021 interview with the "Nothing Shocking" podcast, Shawn stated about the new project: "We started working on some music probably a couple of months ago now. It's been a couple of months. We've been talking about doing something. Glen owns his own studio up in Canada, so why not utilize the fact that we don't have to go and pay huge studio costs and et cetera, et cetera, and get some friends together that we admire and that we respect and work on a record. And that's exactly what we're doing.

"We have Glen and myself, of course, and we have a bass player named Joe DiBiase, who was in a band called FATES WARNING out of Connecticut for years and years and years," he continued. "A great player; a friend of ours. So he's gonna play bass on it. And we have a singer from Germany who was in a band called METALIUM for a number of years, and his name is Henning Basse, who is a fantastic melodic singer. So that's what we're doing currently.

"It's a slow process, because life gets in the way," Shawn added. "We all have things that we deal with, so we do that. But when we have the time, we work on it, and so far it's turning out to be really exciting. We're pretty happy with the material we've done so far."

Asked how the new band is different and similar to his previous collaborations with Glen, Shawn said: "It's been really similar to the first band that Glen and I did years ago, which was a band called EIDOLON. We released, actually, five records on Metal Blade in the early 2000s, right before we both got into MEGADETH. And the dynamic of that was that I write most of the material. Although Glen does contribute to some of it, I usually have the main germ of ideas, and, of course, he records all that stuff. So he's kind of a studio guy. He's the guitar player, but he handles all of the studio recording affairs, and I just kind of take on the job of creating most of the music. And we finetune it — he tweaks it and kind of makes it his own in a way. But that's kind of the working relationship we have with that. Because if Glen wrote all the music, I'd basically be doing nothing, and he would have to tackle all the work on his own. So we made a decision years ago — that was back in the mid-'90s, actually, when we put out our first bit of music, before we got signed to Metal Blade — that's always been the working dynamic, is I create most of the material, and he handles all the recording affairs with that. And it's worked out quite well. So that's what we're doing this time as well. At this point, we're on song four. I think we're gonna do eight or nine songs, and so far I've written all of them. It's just kind of how it worked out."

Shawn also talked about the status of ACT OF DEFIANCE, which he formed in late 2014 with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick, former SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass).

"It's certainly in limbo," Drover said. "Chris joined IN FLAMES a couple of years back, which is a great gig for him. They're great guys, a great band, and he fits with those guys like a glove. So he's quite happy and content to be doing that. With that said, he was so busy — he basically was gone for pretty much a year touring in support of their latest record they put out — and now with what happened in March of [2020]," referring to the coronavirus pandemic, "everything came to a screeching halt.

"Honestly, I don't know what the [other] guys are doing," he continued. "I talk to Henry and Matt a little bit here and there, but it's more just, like, 'How are you? I hope you're doing well.' We really don't talk about music a whole lot; none of us do. But we're all still friendly. Actually, Henry has released a couple of things — different kinds of music — on his own, which makes him happy, so more power to him. For me, I wanted to do something with my brother again and create some new music. And, like I said before, with the situation we are in, why not utilize that and create some music. So that's what we're doing."

Shawn joined MEGADETH in 2004 as the replacement for Nick Menza, who had only just rejoined the group. Drover performed on four MEGADETH studio records: 2007's "United Abominations", 2009's "Endgame", 2011's "TH1RT3EN" and 2013's "Super Collider".

Glen Drover left MEGADETH at the end of 2007 and was replaced by Broderick, who previously played with NEVERMORE and JAG PANZER.

Welcome to Withering Scorn. The new band featuring Shawn and Glen Drover, Henning Basse and Joe DiBiase.
Wait for announcement soon about album title and record label.

Posted by Withering Scorn on Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Rockshots Records is proud to announce their signing of Walk With Titans for the release of their debut album, Olympian Dystopia, on May 26. Based in Montreal, Canada, the band's goal is to bring all the epic elements you'd expect from a power metal band with a twist of Greek Mythology. On Olympian Dystopia the quintet showcases their writing and technical skills.


Efficient, epic, well executed, heavy, and mythical, this is what power metal fans will discover during 50 minutes of Olympian Dystopia brought forth by Nikko Cyr (drums), Nick Maugy (rhythm guitar), Louis Jacques (lead guitar) (ex-Blackguard), Lydz Grondin (bass), and Jonathan Vézina (vocals & orchestrations).


''We wanted to make a straightforward power metal album without compromising the epic side. I think listeners will realize that and enjoy it. We made this album during the pandemic and it kept us sane, we hope fans will find the same joy in listening to it as we had to make it! We bring some ancient Greek Myths to the forefront like Eurydice and Herakles, while others are more subtle like 'Edge of Time', which is Khronos representing time eating us all. Other tracks on the record we made as an analogy for societal issues.'' adds guitarist Louis Jacques.




Today, the band presents their first story and single accompanied by a music video. Entitled "Seven Against Thebes", the track tells the tale of the seven champions in Greek mythology who made war on Thebes, Adrastus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Hippomedon, Polynices, Tydeus, and Parthenopaeus. They were chosen by Adrastus, the king of Argos, to be the captains of an Argive army whose purpose was to restore Oedipus' son Polynices to the Theban throne.


''This song is very ''in your face''. We wanted to make a fast song with a very epic catchy chorus, I think we succeeded here. This song is about the myth of the two Oedipus' sons who fought to the death over the city of Thebes. The bridge solo section is very fast and intense, as a battle could be. We unleash everything on the stage when we play this one.'' says guitarist Louis Jacques


Watch a lyric video for "Seven Against Thebes" below, and pre-order the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"Herakles"
"Edge Of Time"
"Gods Of The Pantheon"
"As Titans Fall"
"Lost Ways"
"Final Dawn"
"Gift Of Fire" feat. Renato Osório - Guest guitar solo by Renato Osório (Atomic Elephant, ex-Hibria)
"Lost Paradise"
"Seven Against Thebes"
"Eurydice"


"Seven Against Thebes" lyric video:





Walk With Titans is:


Drums - Nikko Cyr
Rythm Guitar - Nick Maugy
Lead Guitar - Louis Jacques
Bass Guitar - Lydz Grondin
Vocals & Orchestrations - Jonathan Vézina


Album Credits:


Album Artwork: Jean-Michel Lima
Logo and album cover layout: Jivago Raymond
Booklet Layout: Simon Bertrand
Recordings: Nick Maugy and Louis Jacques, and vocals were at Silverwings Studio by Jonathan Lefrançois
Mix and Mastering: Francis Gagné from Progressive Acoustics
Drums on the Album: Martin Plante (session drummer)
Music by Walk With Titans
Guest solo on ''Gift of Fire'' by Renato Osório (ex-Hibria)
Lyrics: Jonathan Vézina, Louis Jacques, and David Zinay (lost paradise, final dawn)


(Photo - Dani Rod, Above the Sky Studios)

ANVIL frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow says that he "completely disagrees" with artists enhancing their show by using backing tracks during their concerts.

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

Lips addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on singers who use backing tracks for their lead vocals, the guitarist/vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think much of 'em, I'll tell you that. I certainly don't subscribe to that school of… I mean, that's not properly playing; that's not how you perform. And I don't say, 'Stay at home and don't perform.' That's your own business. But for me, I would never do that. I am about giving what it takes and doing what it takes to put on a performance. I can't even comprehend the idea that a backing track or something is doing the work for me. It's, like, what? It's nonsense. So that's how you have it.

"Has ANVIL ever done that?" Lips continued. "The only time that we've ever done that and ever had to do that was in creating videos. When you go do a video, they don't record the sound. And what you end up doing, and it's actually interesting, is they put deadeners on the drums so that they don't make noise. And so, of course, when the drummer is hitting the drums, they can't be too loud because otherwise you can't hear the actual track being played that you're playing to. So they've gotta keep your actual instruments. Of course, no amplifiers are plugged in, no guitars are plugged in, nothing is playing, and, of course, if you're singing at a microphone, the microphone isn't on, so it's not picking up what you're doing. But in doing that, even when I do have to do that, I actually perform the song — I play it as if I'm actually playing. And that's the only way that it looks even remotely correct, as well as… You're never gonna get yourself syncing perfectly in time, so you can obviously tell that it's not really real. But it's close enough, and it's acceptable when you're watching a video. But certainly you wouldn't wanna be doing that at a real live performance. I completely disagree with that concept."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, who consist of AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, actor Johnny Depp and legendary rocker Alice Cooper, along with producer and songwriter Tommy Henriksen, will release their first live album, "Live In Rio", on June 2 via earMUSIC.

The official music video for "I Got A Line On You", taken from "Live In Rio", can be seen below.

In September 2015, the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES played their biggest and most legendary gig in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The accompanying music video shows the sheer magnitude of this concert and the reactions that this song still evokes in people — even 55 years after it was written. Originally by the American rock band SPIRIT, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES cover this classic in their very own way. Rocking, driving, and full of energy, "I Got A Line On You" seems revitalized and bristles with power. It's a three-minute track with hit potential.

In 2015, the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES not only released their first album, but also played one of their biggest concerts, which will now be released as their first live album. After this success and the media interest in the ultimate rock group, sold-out concerts, and tours all over the world followed, and in 2019, finally, the second album "Rise". Over 50,000 physical units sold, millions of streams, and worldwide cover stories in major magazines later, fans, press and the band were ready to bring these songs to the stage. Unfortunately, part of the tour had to be postponed due to the pandemic and will finally be made up for this summer. Fittingly, the first live album will be released a few days earlier on June 2.

"Live In Rio" track listing:

01. Raise The Dead
02. My Generation
03. I Got A Line On You
04. Cold Turkey
05. Five To One/Break On
06. Through (To The Other Side)
07. Manic Depression
08. 7 And 7 Is
09. Whole Lotta Love
10. Jeepster
11. I'm A Boy
12. School's Out
13. Billion Dollar Babies
14. Train Kept A-Rollin'
15. Brown Sugar

The three legends first came together to record in 2015, bonding over a shared love of their favorite songs and a desire to celebrate their "dead, drunk friends" by playing the songs of the fallen heroes. Riotous performances ensued around the world.

In 2019, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES completed a triumphant seven-city North American tour which included a sell-out show at the famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and were voted the "best performance" of 2018 at London's Wembley Arena.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' sophomore album "Rise", produced by Tommy Henriksen and the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, was hailed as one of the purest, most unapologetic and enjoyable rock and roll albums of 2019, made by masters of the craft and true fans of the form. Unlike their 2015 debut record, the latest album consisted mainly of original material, written by the band. There are however, in the spirit of the VAMPIRES' original mission, three covers of songs originally written and recorded by legendary rockers who died far too young.

Four years ago, Cooper told Billboard about his chemistry with Depp and Perry: "That's a very odd thing about this. You've got three alpha males who are used to running the show, and all of a sudden, three guys are sitting there with zero arguments. The whole thing is, 'Okay, let's try that.' Every time they would send me a track with scratch vocals on it, if I worked on it and chopped it up and did my thing, it would turn into an Alice song. I took my fingerprints off of it. I would hear the song and say, 'Let's do it as it was written.' My instinct might be to say that this part goes too long or the intro goes too long, but that's what makes it interesting."

Regarding HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' decision to record a second album as a follow-up to 2015's "Hollywood Vampires", which debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, Cooper said: "We looked at each other and went, 'Let's do another album, but let's make this one original.' And just like that, Johnny was writing, Joe was writing, Tommy was writing, I was writing … and we just all kind of put it together while I was on tour. Tommy produced it, and the next thing you know, we had an album. The cool thing about it is that it doesn’t sound like an Alice album, it doesn't sound like an AEROSMITH album: It sounds like a HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES album."

Former VIXEN singer Janet Gardner's collaborative project with her husband, guitarist/producer Justin James, will release a new album, "No Strings", on June 9 via Pavement Entertainment in North America and Frontiers Music Srl in the rest of the world. The LP's first single, "Don't Turn Me Away", is available now on all streaming platforms.

"No Strings" is the follow-up to the 2020 record "Synergy". In the three years since the release of "Synergy", Gardner and James went to work crafting their most exciting and memorable release to date.

Gardner says: "Justin's and my work flow has become so effortless that the creative process never gets bogged down in the technical aspects until it comes time to mix and master. Justin's determination to bring this album to the next level, sonically, has had the biggest impact on this release."

James says: "I’m so proud of what Janet and I have created with 'No Strings'. From the first chord recorded to the last note sung, 'No Strings' is a piece of who we are."

The track listing for "No Strings" is as follows:

01. I'm Living Free
02. Turn The Page
03. 85
04. No Strings
05. Don't Turn Me Away
06. Set Me Free
07. Hold On To You
08. Into The Night
09. I'm Not Sorry
10. You'll See
11. She Floats Away
12. Drink

"Synergy" was the first Gardner/James album to be released under the GARDNER*JAMES banner. The couple previously collaborated on Janet's first two solo albums, 2018's "Janet Gardner" and 2019's "Your Place In The Sun".

Janet announced her departure from VIXEN in January 2019, saying in a statement that it was time for her to step aside and let drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross "pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

In January 2018, Gardner underwent surgery to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma.

While Gardner was recovering from her surgery, VIXEN played a show in Durant, Oklahoma in March 2018 with a fill-in singer, Lorraine Lewis of FEMME FATALE. In January 2019, Lewis was announced as Gardner's official replacement.

James had previously worked as a guitarist/songwriter/producer with members of STAIND, COLLECTIVE SOUL and TYKETTO.

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

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

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

Ulrich discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Revolver. He said: "I think that the idea that they're out celebrating the music and the magic of PANTERA is ... I know there's been a lot of talk in the community about whether people support that or not. But I'm the type of person, if Glenn Hughes wants to go out and play a DEEP PURPLE set, I'd support that.

"I'm always in favor of people following their musical and creative ambitions; so this PANTERA reunion, I think, is good," he added. "And obviously having Charlie up there is great. I saw a video from one of the Mexico shows that felt like they were in the pocket. It'll be fun to have them out."

Speaking about METALLICA's relationship with PANTERA, which dates back to before Anselmo had even joined the band, Ulrich said: "We met the brothers on the 'Ride The Lightning' tour and became friends with them. This was in Dallas in — what — 1622 or something? It was about 400 years ago. We obviously loved both of them, and they had a posse down there, and we would see them whenever we came through Texas. We watched the band evolve over the years from more rock vibes into that creative, unique force that they became. So, we've had a relationship with them for decades and decades."

After Dimebag was murdered in December 2004, Ulrich released a statement in which he said that he was "fortunate enough to meet both Darrell and his brother in Dallas on tour" in 1985. He went on to say: "The first thing me and my friend did as soon as that tour was over was to head straight back to Dallas and hang out with Darrell and Vinnie for a long time, 'cause they were the coolest mutherfuckers that we had met after criss-crossing the states for three months. That was the beginning of a friendship that was anchored in love, respect, fun, outrageousness, music, booze, sweat, late nights, early mornings, hangovers, headaches, pounding eardrums, sore bodies... the list goes on."

He added: "Darrell and his brother were the cornerstone of musical adventures that were always groundbreaking, pushing boundaries, challenging to themselves and to their fans, respected by their peers and always true musicians' musicians."

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America. The band will next headline the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event will take place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

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

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

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

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

Einar Solberg - frontman of Norwegian rock mavericks Leprous - recently announced the release of his debut solo album, 16, on June 2. Wildly diverse, but spiritually rooted in Einar’s well-established musical world, 16 is an album that brims with surprises and spinning curveballs and features a collection of intimate but extravagant collaborations.


Today sees the launch of the second single taken from the album, and you can watch the video for "A Beautiful Life", directed by Elena Sihida, below.


Einar comments: “16 is a very diverse album, and 'A Beautiful Life' is probably the most accessible song of the entire record! On most songs I’ve collaborated with other composers, but this is one out of four solo songs.”




"A Beautiful Life" features Einar joined by Keli Guðjónsson (drums), Tor Egil Kreken (bass), Raphael Weinroth-Browne (cello), Chris Baum (violin), Ben Levin (guitar) & Magnus Børmark (guitar).





Einar Solberg is as renowned for the tender honesty of his lyrics as he is for the eccentric majesty of Leprous’ music. But even by his usual standards, 16 is an extremely emotional and dynamic piece of work. Einar describes the record as “the closest I’ve ever come to writing a concept album” and explains that the new songs are about a very specific and transformational period in the musician’s life. This is the sound of a restless spirit in his absolute element.


“It’s called 16 because that’s when the first really, really bad things started happening to me in life. From 16 to 19, there were a lot of very life-defining moments that happened to me, and that changed me,” he says. “That’s when I kind of lost my innocence and I started realising that life is serious and bad shit can happen. A lot of pretty drastic things happened within those three years. But this album is not only about the bad things. It’s also about some of the career-defining moments, like the moment I started playing with the band and began to find a community to belong to. Emotionally, I’m a bit of everything, so it covers the entire emotional spectrum!”


16 finds Einar collaborating with everyone from modern prog contemporaries like Bent Knee’s Ben Levin and Agent Fresco’s Toti Gudnason, to experimental cellist (and regular Leprous live musician) Raphael Weinroth-Browne and Magnus Børmark, best known as a member of Norwegian alt-folk troupe Gåte. He also once again collaborates with Ihsahn and Star Of Ash amongst many others. The record was mixed by mixed by Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.).


16 will be released on Ltd CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet & Digitally, and is now available to pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"16" (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)
"Remember Me"
"A Beautiful Life"
"Where All The Twigs Broke" (feat. Star Of Ash)
"Metacognitive" (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)
"Home" (feat. Ben Levin)
"Blue Light" (feat. Asger Mygind)
"Grotto" (feat. Magnus Børmark)
"Splitting The Soul" (feat. Ihsahn)
"Over The Top"
"The Glass Is Empty" (feat. Tóti Guðnason)


"Grotto" video:





Einar will debut his solo material live with two exclusive shows at the Eindhoven & London editions of Prognosis Festival (15th & 22nd April respectively). You can find more details here.


(Photo - Elena Sihida)

Queen continues the new video series, “Queen The Greatest: Live”, a year-long celebration of Queen Live. It's a 50-week YouTube series going behind the scenes to reveal what goes into creating a Queen show featuring moments from iconic performances and demonstrating why the band is regarded as the ultimate live act. The latest episode can be found below.


A message states: "From the very beginning, Queen were determined their live shows would be a visual spectacular - and pushed the technology of the time to the limit to deliver just that. In this episode, Brian May and Roger Taylor reveal some of their favourite moments under the lights."







Queen guitarist Brian May’s investiture as a Knight of The Realm took place on Tuesday, March 14, at Buckinghamshire Palace. The knighthood was presented to Brian by His Royal Highness, King Charles.


BBC reports: Less than a year after the late Queen appeared on screen tapping out the beat of "We Will Rock You" over tea with Paddington Bear, the man who wrote the song - and whose band shared her moniker - has attended Buckingham Palace to receive a knighthood.


Guitarist Brian May was given the honour on Tuesday for services to music and charity, with pictures showing him chatting with King Charles and posing with his medallion after the ceremony."


View photos at BBC.com.


Brian’s Honours List citation recognizes Brian as:


Dr Brian Harold May CBE - “Musician, Astrophysicist and Animal Welfare Advocate. For services to Music and to Charity.”


Already carrying the title of Dr. as well as previously receiving a CBE, the Queen musician now receives the award of a Knighthood, adding the honorific title Sir to his name, hereafter to be recognized with the full title Sir Brian Harold May CBE.  Brian’s wife of 22 years, Anita Dobson, may use the title of Lady May.


In receiving his recognition, Sir Brian responded by saying: “I’m happy and grateful to receive this honour. I will regard the knighthood not so much as a reward, but more as a charge – a commission – for me to continue to fight for justice – to be a voice for those who have no voice.  I will endeavour to be worthy – to be that Knight in Shining Armour.”


The Full Citation reads as follows:


Brian May is an acclaimed musician and songwriter, founding member of the rock group Queen. In 2020 he was named Greatest Guitarist of All Time by Total Guitar Magazine. Queen’s performance at Live Aid in 1985 is acknowledged as the greatest live set in history. Brian famously opened the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 performing live on Buckingham Palace roof – and 20 years later returned to open the Platinum Jubilee concert atop the Victoria Monument. He is also an accomplished astrophysicist, now attached as stereoscopist to many NASA Space exploration teams. He re-established the London Stereoscopic Company in 2008, was co-founder of Asteroid Day in 2015, for the protection of Earth from Asteroid strikes, and was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008-2013. His work defending Britain’s wild animals led him to found the Save-Me Trust in 2009, which is his continuing passion, campaigning for the rights of foxes and badgers, and hosting an active wild-life rescue operation.