British heavy metal legends SAXON have canceled the remaining four shows on their March 2023 European tour after vocalist Biff Byford was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Earlier today (Friday, March 17),SAXON released the following statement via social media: "We are very sorry, but due to Biff Byford catching Covid whilst on tour, the remaining European dates in Dresden, Linz and Ulm are cancelled and we are looking to reschedule them as soon as possible. Again we are very sorry for all the inconvenience this causes but is way beyond anyone's control."

SAXON previously scrapped its March 16 concert in Rostock, apparently for the same reason.

SAXON drummer Nigel Glockler added in a separate message: "It's a real blow — the gigs were going great and we were having such a great time. Most important thing is for Biff to recover!"

Back in December 2021, Biff told Full In Bloom in an interview that he had made modest dietary changes in the two years after he suffered a heart attack and underwent an emergency triple bypass surgery. "A little bit," he said. "I don't eat dairy anymore. I suppose I'll eat an occasional piece of cheese, but I don't eat dairy anymore because of the cholesterol level thing. But pretty much [everything] else, I haven't really changed. We'll have a veggie week some weeks where my wife will just put vegetarian food all week, which is a bit of a change, really, and it gets rid of toxic things in your body. But I haven't really changed that much, to tell you the truth."

The now-72-year-old singer went on to say that he has added 16:8 intermittent fasting to his lifestyle, a type of dieting where people fast during a portion of the week and then eat on the other days. The 16:8 type of intermittent fasting involves eating only during a specific right-hour period each day.

"I will do that," Biff said. "I mean, I did do that today, actually. I didn't have lunch until 2 o'clock and I'll eat dinner at 7:30 and then I try not to have anything else until the next day. So most of your fasting is done while you're asleep; that's how it's supposed to work. What you try and do is eat all your meals in the eight hours. Don't go stupid. And then if you go to bed at, say, 11 o'clock and get up at eight or seven, then you had nearly eight hours in bed. A lot of people do it. It's quite positive. I think it's a bit easier than some diets.

"If you don't eat until the morning until quite late, you definitely feel a hit of energy," he explained. "And you're also quite hungry, so you appreciate the food [that you are eating]. Keeping to it is difficult sometimes, obviously. You want a glass of wine or you want a beer or something; you're always being tempted with these things."

According to Biff, he still drinks alcohol occasionally. "Oh, yeah," he said. "A couple of glasses of wine some nights, it's no problem. As long as you're not drinking two bottles of wine, it's fine."

Three years ago, Byford described his heart attack to Planet Rock, saying "it wasn't like a Hollywood heart attack, [where] you drop on the floor with your legs up in the air. I was biking, I was on my bike — I do a lot of biking and walking. And I was getting a bit breathless. And I went to the doctor. They sent me in to the hospital straight away. One of my arteries was getting blocked. They couldn't get to it easily; it was risky. So they gave me a heart bypass. And so while they were in there, they did all three… So, yeah, they did all three. And then I came to, and that was it. I was really ill."

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

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

We are very sorry, but due to Biff Byford catching Covid whilst on tour, the remaining European dates in Dresden, Linz...

Posted by Saxon on Friday, March 17, 2023

Due to unforeseen circumstances the Saxon shows in Rostock tonight and Dresden tomorrow will not take place. We are...

Posted by Saxon on Thursday, March 16, 2023

We are very pleased to announce some more tour dates in Europe for March 2023!

Wednesday 8th – LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg...

Posted by Saxon on Friday, December 23, 2022

During an appearance on this past Tuesday's (March 14) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton was asked about ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's claim that the original lineup of the group was offered an "obscene" amount of money for one reunion tour but that "a couple of people in the band turned it down." He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. I didn't hear about it. I never saw any offers. I know our management never saw any offers. So I have no idea about that."

Michael also briefly touched upon original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who in October 2021 filed a lawsuit against Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit.

Asked if he has been in contact with Scott, Michael said: "It's a touchy subject. And that's something that we will have to talk to you about in the future."

When host Eddie Trunk said that it sounds like there is "some drama" between Rockenfield and QUEENSRŸCHE, Wilton said: "Yup. Current real-time drama. Whatever."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Fellow original QUEENSRŸCHE members Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

During a January 2022 appearance on "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Tate was asked if he is hopeful that a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion will happen someday. He responded: "I'm honestly not really expecting that to happen, basically because we've been offered just obscene amounts of money to get back together and do one tour — one tour and we'd never have to tour again. And a couple of people in the band turned it down; they're not interested in doing it. So that would really be, I think, the only motivation that would get everybody together was an obscene amount of money. But that didn't work, so [laughs] there's really no hope for it after that, I think… Money is not the motivator, and getting together for an artistic dream isn't a motivator either, so what do you have? You have nothing. Obviously, both camps are happy in the position they're at. I know for myself, I love my life — I love what I'm doing and I love traveling and playing music for people. And so far, I'm still kicking it, still happy and healthy."

Geoff went on to say that he is fine with the prospect of never returning to QUEENSRŸCHE and continuing to pursue his solo career and other projects for the rest of his time as a performing artist.

"We did hold it together for years and years and years," he said. "It was a really, really tightly run ship and it was very lucrative and we had a lot of great records and did a lot of world touring and made a lot of friends and played a lot of music together. And we had our time, and I'll aways be grateful for that time that we had. That was a time, and it doesn't mean that that time has to go on forever. There's new times to be had and there's more music to be made, there's more songs to be sung and more audiences to play music for."

Tate has gone back and forth on the subject of a reunion with QUEENSRŸCHE, telling The Rock Vault in November 2019 about the possibility of rejoining his former bandmates: "I think that would be something that makes sense, and I think it would be an interesting thing to do, if everybody could get in the same room and actually talk to each other." However, just eight months earlier, he dismissed the chances of a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion, telling Greece's "TV War" that he had "no interest in that. No. Not at all. [I have] absolutely no reason to," he said. "I don't need the money. That'd be the only reason to do it. Maybe if they paid me, like, 10 million dollars or something like that. [Laughs]"

He continued: "It was a good thing for a long time, and then it went really bad. And I just don't want that kind of negativity in my life. My life is so good, and I have such great friends and family. I travel the world and sing songs for a living. I mean, it's lovely. I have wonderful, positive people in my life, and to go back and be in that negative land again… aargh, I just couldn't do it. It's not worth it."

Tate previously described his time in QUEENSRŸCHE as "a strange, strange sort of relationship." He told The Metal Gods Meltdown: "We weren't really friends, you know — we were business associates. We had a wonderful entity that we shared called QUEENSRŸCHE, but it wasn't an equal sort of partnership as far as involvement goes. You know, so there wasn't a real camaraderie amongst everybody in the band… From my perspective and my involvement, it wasn't an emotional sort of brotherhood kind of thing that some people might think existed. That wasn't my reality with them."

In 2021, current QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre told "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" about the chances of Tate's return to QUEENSRŸCHE: "It's funny. I always hear, 'There'll definitely be an all-original lineup reunion. Every band does it.' And I'm thinking, if you knew what I know, I don't think that's gonna happen. And other than the optics of it, why? What's the point? We saw for 15 years what it sounded like."

QUEENSRŸCHE has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring and recording purposes since April 2017.

Drummer Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, ANTHRAX) has uploaded the latest in his "Big Four" drum-cover series: METALLICA's "Fight Fire With Fire". The clip, which can be seen below, follows his previously released videos for METALLICA's "Damage, Inc.", SLAYER's "Killing Fields", METALLICA's "Blackened", ANTHRAX's "A.I.R." and MEGADETH's "Wake Up Dead" and SLAYER's "Postmortem".

Says Jon: "Summer of 1984! 'Ride The Lightning' dropped and METALLICA immediately became my favorite BIG 4 band! The opening track was, and still is the track off 'Ride The Lightning' that stands out for me as the ultimate demonstration of the bands amazing songwriting and musicianship combined perfectly with raw speed, power and aggression. Plus, being a 14 year old self taught drummer, I now had my new drum lesson material for the rest of summer (and the rest of the year) with 'Fight' and all the other amazing tracks off the record!"

The 52-year-old Dette played as a full-time member of SLAYER from 1996 to 1997 and as a touring member in 2013.

In a 2013 interview with Metal Rules, Dette revealed that he collaborated with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King on some of the early ideas for what became the band's final studio album, 2015's "Repentless", before he was replaced by a returning Paul Bostaph. "I actually started working with SLAYER after we had gotten back from Australia [in early 2013]," he said. "We started working for demo and music for their new record. And then obviously what happened with Jeff [Hanneman, guitar] passing away, that changed some things. But it was definitely moving in that direction for me to be working with SLAYER [again]. But as I said there are just some things that changed with that once Jeff passed away, and I think, ultimately, they felt more comfortable with ‎Paul Bostaph, just because Paul had been in the band for longer. I think it was not going to be as much of a shock to their fans, because first Dave is gone, and now Jeff is gone, the band, it's now down to two original members. So if Paul makes them feel more comfortable and at home, then more respect to him and I wish them the best with that."

King confirmed that he worked with Dette early on in the songwriting process for "Repentless" before deciding to re-hire Bostaph instead. "We pursued it," Kerry said in a 2015 interview. "We got back from Australia. I did demos with Jon Dette, I did demos with Paul — the same two songs, under the same circumstances; they each had, like, 24 to 36 hours to learn 'em — and just see where it went. And Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] and Jeff [Hanneman, SLAYER guitarist] both decided Paul, and in hindsight, that was the right choice."

Dette originally joined SLAYER in 1996 when Paul Bostaph left to work on his side project THE TRUTH ABOUT SEAFOOD. Dette performed with SLAYER at the 1996 Ozzfest to promote the band's covers album, "Undisputed Attitude".

Prior to joining SLAYER, Dette appeared on TESTAMENT's "Live At The Fillmore" album, which came out in 1995.

In recent years, Dette had played sporadic shows with ANTHRAX as a temporary replacement for Charlie Benante, who had been undergoing physical therapy in his battle with carpal tunnel syndrome.

One of the most iconic and influential albums ever, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, continues to find new audiences globally. This year, to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, a new deluxe box set will be released on March 24. Pre-order here.


In support of the upcoming release, the band have launched the new video series, 50 Years In A Heartbeat: The Story Of The Dark Side Of The Moon. Episode 1 is available for streaming below:







The Dark Side Of The Moon deluxe box set includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions.  The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix, plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’, a 160-page hardback photo book, a music book, replica 7” singles and memorabilia.  For full details see full listing via the pre-order link above.





The box set includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album, and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes an additional new Blu-ray disc of a Dolby Atmos mix plus a CD and LP of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974. There's also a 76-page music book, replicas of two 7" singles, posters, stickers, a replica invite to the press preview of the album at London Planetarium in February 1973, and Thames & Hudson's 160-page hardback book with rare and previously unseen photographs from the 1972-1975 tours taken by Jill Furmanovsky, Peter Christopherson, Aubrey Powell, and Storm Thorgerson.





Simultaneously, on March 24, the CD and first ever vinyl issue of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974 will be released independently of the box set. It was originally recorded in November 1974 as part of the band's winter tour and this is the first time it will be available as a stand-alone album, with artwork featuring an original 1973 line-drawn cover by George Hardie.





Thames & Hudson's book Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary will also be published separately from the box set on the same day - March 24. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and art directed by Hipgnosis co-founder Aubrey Powell, this LP-sized book was created with the involvement of the band members.


The 50th Anniversary release will also be celebrated as Pink Floyd invite a new generation of animators to enter a competition to create music videos for any of the album's 10 songs. Pink Floyd has a rich history of collaborating with animators from the beginnings of the band (Ian Emes, Gerald Scarfe etc.), and in some cases the visuals that accompany the songs have become synonymous with the music itself. The 50th Anniversary will be no exception. The band would like to give all animators an opportunity to present a fresh take on these timeless aural works. Animators can enter up to 10 videos, one per song on the album. A winner will be selected from a panel of experts which will include Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Aubrey 'Po' Powell (Pink Floyd's creative director) and the BFI (British Film Institute). The deadline for submissions is November 30th 2023. Please see the separate post with Nick Mason talking about the competition.


On February 27 1973, EMI Records held a press conference for the debut presentation of Pink Floyd’s new album The Dark Side Of The Moon at the London Planetarium. 50 years on, in recognition of the iconic album and with the help of huge strides in technology, an official full dome experience with stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond and played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon, will be released in Planetariums around the world in March. Contact your local Planetarium for any screening details.


For further information, head to PinkFloyd.com.

German dark metal pioneers, Nachtblut, are back to hit venues all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland on their Vanitas Tour, starting today in Stuttgart.





To set stages for this infernal live experience, the band has just revealed a brand new music video for their song, “Kaltes Herz” (engl. Cold Heart). It represents the quintessence of Nachtblut by combining a dark and morbid mood with on point lyrics that don’t mince words.




“Kaltes Herz” is cut from the band’s sixth full-length album, Vanitas, released in October 2020 via Napalm Records. Accompanied by a brand new video, the song draws the listener into the band’s musical maelstrom in a classifying Nachtblut manner. Don’t miss your chance to join the cult and experience Nachtblut live on stage!


The band states: "Today, our own Vanitas tour will kick off. We’re more than happy this is finally happening after we had to reschedule the tour, due to the Covid-Pandemic. This will be an awesome tour; many shows are sold out already, and for several cities just a few tickets are left. We don’t take this for granted, especially after the last two years. We’re stoked about the support by our fans and thankful to everyone involved. To celebrate the start, we’re giving you 'Kaltes Herz'. This video was shot during the “Homecoming Tour” with our friends of Lord Of The Lost and is a great flashback to an awesome tour, as well as a hint for what to expect attending the Vanitas tour. We see you tonight or very soon!"





Order Vanitas here.


Lineup:


Askeroth - vocals
Ablaz - bass
Skoll - drums
Greif - guitar


(Photo - Andreas Schieler)

In November 2021, death metal titans Hypocrisy released their 13th studio album, Worship, to massive acclaim from fans and media, ending up in the top ranks of many year’s poll lists and scoring some of their highest chart results to date.


Promoted on the band’s most extensive live cycle since ages, tracks like "Chemical Whore", "Children of the Gray" were very well received by their following, alongside such classic tracks as "Roswell 47", "Inferior Devoties", "Fractured Millennium" and "Eraser".


Hypocrisy toured the States, performed at festivals like Wacken, Summer Breeze, Maryland Deathfest, Alcatraz  to name but a few, played a highly successful European tour, and finished 2022 with an unforgettable trip to South America before launching 2023 aboard the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise.




But now, Hypocrisy and Nuclear Blast Records will start the first, and definitely not the final chapter, of a catalogue campaign bringing back all their legendary past records, some of which are much sought-after rarities.


“Chapter One” begins with classy vinyl and CD editions of Penetralia (1992), Osculum Obscenum (1993), The Fourth Dimension (1994), and Abducted (1996) on May 5.


Documenting the evolution from the violent and utterly morbid Masse Broberg fronted first two records, the much-revered opus The Fourth Dimension that showed a darker and more melodic approach until Abducted,  which includes live staple "Roswell 47", this first phase of Hypocrisy’s career laid down the groundwork for the Swedes trademark sound.


The 2023 reissues feature all original art with a few careful touchups - the band logo on Penetralia was for example never meant to be pink/purple - and preserve true death metal classics in an astonishing form that have been unavailable especially on LP for far too long.


Get ready to revisit one of the most consistent and dynamic discographies in the genre!





Pre-order the following formats here, or here.


- Penetralia (Reissue 2023) Gatefold LP, CD
- Osculum Obscenum (Reissue 2023) Gatefold LP, CD
- The Fourth Dimension (Reissue 2023) Gatefold 2LP, CD
- Abducted (Reissue 2023) Gatefold LP, CD

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

Fan-filmed video of the tour's kickoff concert, which took place Wednesday night (March 15) at Sala Palatului in Bucharest, Romania, can be seen below.

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

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

Remaining dates are as follows:

March 18 - National Palace Of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
March 19 - National Palace Of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
March 22 - Sports Hall Mirza Delibasic, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
March 24 - Hall Drazen Petrovic, Zagreb, Croatia
March 25 - Cancarjev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
April 02 - Hala University Palacheho, Olomouc, Czech Republic
April 15 - Vibra, Sao Paulo, Brazil
April 19 - Teatro Positiva, Curitiba, Brazil
April 21 - Vivo Rio, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
April 25 - Auditorio Araujo Vianna, Porto Alegre, Brazil

For tickets, visit ScreamForMe.com.

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

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with Andrew Daly of Ultimate Guitar, legendary drummer Carmine Appice, best known for his work with VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS and Rod Stewart, was asked for his thoughts on the departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE of his good friend, guitarist Mick Mars. He said: "Well, I'll tell you what. 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.'"

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."

On April 28, UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records continue the comprehensive Rush 40th anniversary album series with new and expanded editions of the band’s decade-defining 1982 release, Signals, an album that signified how the band was in no way detached and subdivided from the ever-shifting 1980s musical landscape.


Today, the band release a new visualizer for the Signals track, "The Analog Kid". Check it out below:







Signals-40th Anniversary will be available to fans in three distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) one-LP Picture Disc Edition, and (3) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition. There will also be a limited edition Super Deluxe box featuring eight lithographs of Neil Peart’s original hand-drawn lyrics for each song on Signals only available through the official Rush online store.


All configurations can be pre-ordered and pre-saved, here. Watch an unboxing video below.


Signals, Rush’s ninth studio album, was originally released in September 1982, and its technology-embracing riffs and rhythms, continued the forward-thinking trajectory of the acclaimed Canadian trio as it continued to chart the demands of a new decade. The album’s eight songs built upon Rush’s penchant for adapting to the flow of the times without compromising its flair for melding long-established progressive roots with radio-friendly song arrangements. Signals, co-produced by Rush with longtime band confidant Terry Brown and engineered by Paul Northfield, was the third of numerous Rush recording sessions held at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. The band’s synergistic recording process at Le Studio had been well-established during sessions for the aforementioned Moving Pictures, as well as the sessions for that album’s predecessor, January 1980’s Permanent Waves.


“Subdivisions,” the generation-defining lead-off track on Signals, succinctly captures the angst of the perennial restless dreams of youth, and this synth-driven song subsequently became one of Rush’s most celebrated FM favorites as well as a cherished concert staple for many years to come. Next, the band shifts gears and leans back into the wide-eyed yearnings of “The Analog Kid,” a propulsive track that also reached No. 19 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Meanwhile, the quest for emotional interactivity reaches a combustive head in the connective musical tissue of “Chemistry.” Side A closes out with the fast-forward thinking of “Digital Man,” presaging our eventual reliance on the 0s and 1s that now permeate our daily lives.


Side B commences with the angular thrust of “The Weapon” (subtitled as being “Part II of Fear”), a rumination on personal apprehension and doubt that also serves as a modernized offshoot of the mob-mentality prejudices of “Witch Hunt” (a.k.a. “Part III of Fear”) from Moving Pictures. “The Weapon” also became another Rush concert favorite featuring a videoscreen-projected introduction courtesy of Count Floyd, one of Joe Flaherty’s many notable characters from SCTV. The kinetic, reggae-tinged lilt of “New World Man” peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Rush’s singular Top 40 hit in the United States. The truly beautiful “Losing It,” a starkly honest assessment of knowing when the optimal-performance curtain is coming down and how to gracefully deal with its consequences (or not), features poignant electric violin accompaniment from guest performer Ben Mink. “Losing It” was never played onstage until Rush’s final R40 Live Tour in 2015, with Mink reprising his role at the tour’s stop in Toronto and Jonathan Dinklage of the Clockwork Angels Ensemble playing on it when the song was performed in the States. The album wraps up with the optimistic skyward views of “Countdown,” an unabashed celebratory chronicle of the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981. “Countdown” also features approved audio of the voice communications between the Columbia astronauts and ground control.


The Super Deluxe Edition includes one CD, one Blu-ray Audio, one high-quality 180-gram black-vinyl LP with new artwork from original album designer Hugh Syme in a premium tip-on jacket, and four 7-inch singles (“Subdivisions,” “Countdown,” “New World Man,” and “The Weapon (Single Edit”), all of them with new artwork from Syme. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the core album newly mixed from the original multi-tracks in 48kHz 24-bit Dolby Atmos (the second Rush album to appear in Atmos, following Moving Pictures) and 96kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 as done by esteemed producer/engineer Richard Chycki, alongside the previously available 48kHz 24-bit PCM Stereo mix. Also included on the Blu-ray are new animated visualizers for all eight songs, as well as two bonus remastered vintage promo videos: the high-school halls narrative of “Subdivisions” and “Countdown,” the latter of which features authorized Space Shuttle Columbia launch footage. Additionally, the LP in the Super Deluxe Edition has been cut via half-speed Direct Metal Mastering (the second Rush album to have been done as such, again following Moving Pictures) on a 180-gram audiophile black-vinyl LP, and it has been pressed at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.


The Super Deluxe Edition of Signals-40th Anniversary will also include several exclusive items, including a 40-page hardcover book with new song illustrations and new artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme and unreleased photos from the Signals Tour, along with three lenticular lithographs that transition from the original black-and-white band headshots into the original album’s “Digital Man” color headshots; four Signals Tour band lithographs; Syme’s original album cover sketch lithograph; and a double-sided 24x24-inch poster featuring Syme’s new Signals artwork on one side, and an outtake photo from the original album cover shoot on the other side. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box, which features significantly reimagined cover artwork by Hugh Syme.


The second configuration Signals-40th Anniversary will be released in is a one-LP Picture Disc Edition. The picture disc is housed in a transparent plastic sleeve, and it showcases new Hugh Syme artwork on both album sides.


Finally, the third configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki’s expert Atmos mix of all eight tracks from the original album.





Tracklistings:


Super Deluxe Edition:


CD - Disc 1: Original Album - Produced by Rush and Terry Brown / 2015 remaster on CD for the first time:


"Subdivisions"
"The Analog Kid"
"Chemistry"
"Digital Man"
"The Weapon"
"New World Man"
"Losing It"
"Countdown"


Blu-Ray Audio - Disc 2 (Dolby Atmos* / Dolby TrueHD 5.1* / PCM Stereo; * Previously unreleased mixes):


"Subdivisions"
"The Analog Kid"
"Chemistry"
"Digital Man"
"The Weapon"
"New World Man"
"Losing It"
"Countdown"


Bonus Promo Videos (Dolby TrueHD 5.1* / PCM Stereo; * Previously unreleased mixes):


"Subdivisions"
"Countdown"


1LP - Signals (DMM Half-Speed Mastering / Original Album - Produced by Rush and Terry Brown):


Side A


"Subdivisions"
"The Analog Kid"
"Chemistry"
"Digital Man"


Side B


"The Weapon"
"New World Man"
"Losing It"
"Countdown"
 
7" Singles (All four singles feature brand-new Hugh Syme artwork):


Single 1 - Side A:


"Subdivisions"


Single 1 - Side B:


"Red Barchetta" (Live)


Single 2 - Side A:


"Countdown"


Single 2 - Side B:


"New World Man"


Single 3 - Side A:


"New World Man"


Single 3 - Side B:


"Vital Signs" (Live)


Single 4 - Side A:


"The Weapon" (Single Edit)


Single 4 - Side B:


"Digital Man"


1LP Picture Disc Edition:


Signals (DMM Half-Speed Mastering / Original Album - Produced by Rush and Terry Brown; Both sides feature brand-new Hugh Syme artwork):


Side A
"Subdivisions"
"The Analog Kid"
"Chemistry"
"Digital Man"


Side B


"The Weapon"
"New World Man"
"Losing It"
"Countdown"


Signals (Dolby Atmos Digital Edition* / previously unreleased):


"Subdivisions"
"The Analog Kid"
"Chemistry"
"Digital Man"
"The Weapon"
"New World Man"
"Losing It"
"Countdown"


Unboxing video:

Witchrot have released a video for their track "Million Shattered Swords", taken from their new album, Live In The Hammer, which is out now on all streaming platforms. Check it out below.


The band comments: "It’s funny how this song turned out, it was nearly an instrumental. There were some lyrics that I was going through in the studio and Lea sort of just did her thing with it. Of course we were all 'Wow, okay, let’s add all this and that' so it turned into this power ballad that knocks you into existence. Lyrically the song is about realizing that you’ve deviated from your morals and who you’re meant to be, but instead of going back to who you were, you shed your skin to grow into something better than you were originally. The session was a great opportunity. Having Laura on board brought this track over the top. The violin trickles through the song like a spider at parts but then stomps through like a mammoth when the tidal wave of doom hits."







All sleaze and psych, Live In The Hammer has the fuzz fueled quartet playing in the grease trap of Ontario. Smoky vocals overtop mesmeric psychedelic doom fill the room to the brim. Pre-orders for Live In The Hammer are available here.


The bubbling cauldron that is Live In The Hammer, serves as a bridge between Hollow and the band’s forthcoming next album, currently in the works. There’s no escaping the strange web of Witchrot. Fall into the chasm and embrace the dark.





Tracklisting:


"Medley - Druid Smoke Part 1 (The Keeper) / Crypt Reaper / Burn Me Down"    
"Dug Your Grave / Strega"    
"Acedia"    
"Who Scared You"    
"Colder Hands"    
"Million Shattered Swords"





Shortly after the release of Live In The Hammer, Witchrot will hit the road in Canada in support of the album. A complete list of dates follows. Tickets can be found HERE or purchased at the door of each venue.


March 
31 - Ottawa, ON - House Of Targ


April 
1 - Sherbrooke, QC - Murdoch
2 - Montreal, QC - Turbohaus
13 - London, ON - Richmond Tavern
14 - Sarnia, ON - Mauds
15 - Hamilton, ON - Casbah


May 
11 - Toronto, ON - Hardluck
12 - Barrie, ON - Infinity Zero
13 - Sudbury, ON - Townhouse Tavern

Platinum-certified and twice Grammy-nominated Michigan rock powerhouse I Prevail — Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals), Steve Menoian (guitars/bass), Dylan Bowman (guitars), and Gabe Helguera (drums) — released their monumental new record True Power via Fearless Records last year. It was followed by a sold out, two-leg tour across the U.S. and Canada.


Today, the band has shared the video for the new single "Deep End", directed by Jensen Noen. 







'"Deep End" showcases I Prevail's deftness with dynamics, vacillating between tempos and emotions before the final fadeout. The song's message is as powerful as its melody, and that's precisely why the song takes hold from start to finish. 


"'Deep End' felt special from the day we wrote it," the band says. "Being one of the most introspective tracks on the record, it became a reflection on an attempt to stop battling certain things about yourself and instead learning to accept them as a part of who you are. There's a peace to be found in that. Overall, this track allowed us to evolve the softer side of our band and we're incredibly proud of it."


I Prevail, who are currently on a headline tour of the UK, will return to the road in the U.S. this spring, supporting Godsmack. All dates are below. The band will announce further tour plans soon, so stay tuned.


May
4 - Denver, CO - KBPI at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
6 - Phoenix, AZ - KUPD at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
7 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
9 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
10 - Bonner Springs, KS - Azura Amphitheater
12 - Oklahoma City, OK - KATT at The Zoo Amphitheatre
13 - The Woodlands, TX - The Buzz at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
14 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
17 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
18 - Atlanta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
20 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome To Rockville
21 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
23 - Franklin, TN - Firstbank Amphitheater
25 - Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival





 

Seventh Crystal have released a music video for their new single, "In The Mirror". The track is featured on the band's new album, Wonderland, out now on CD/LP/Digital (LP to be released July 14). Watch the new clip below.


Picking up where their debut left off, but taking everything up a level (or two, really), Wonderland sees the bands taking the unique formula that worked so well for them and expanding upon it. This is melodic rock for the 21st century.


Seventh Crystal is a new rock band from the fertile Swedish music scene that was put together by singer Kristian Fyhr (Perpetual Etude). Initially, Kristian wanted to pursue a solo project. but when the songs started to take form, he realized he wanted to involve more musicians. So, he moved to vocals only and brought in Johan Älvsång (Pinstripe Conspiracy, Lamashtu) on keyboards/piano and Olof Gadd (Osukaru) on bass as the first key pieces, and then recruited Anton Roos on drums and Emil Dornerus on guitar to complete the lineup. After the release of their debut album, Gustav Linde joined the band as their second guitarist.




Seventh Crystal's music can best be described as arena rock with melodic rock influences. If you love the new wave of Scandinavian hard rock embodied by the likes of One Desire, H.E.A.T., and other bands who bring a huge sense of melody to modern rock, then this band is going to be right up your alley.





Wonderland tracklisting:


"Wonderland"
"Higher Ground"
"Hollow"
"Million Times"
"My Own Way"
"Imperfection"
"In The Mirror"
"Next Generation"
"Someday"
"Rodeo"


"In The Mirror" video:





"Million Times" video:





"Wonderland" video:





"Higher Ground" video:





Lineup:


Kristian Fyhr - Lead Vocals
Johan Älvsång - Keyboard/Backing Vocals
Emil Dornerus - Guitar/Backing Vocals
Gustav Linde - Guitar
Olof Gadd - Bass/Backing Vocals
Anton Roos - Drums/Percussion

According to The Sun, Ozzy Osbourne has vowed to return to the live stage, even if he has to perform in a chair.

The report comes a month after Osbourne released a statement in which he said that he would have to cancel his tour because of a spinal injury he suffered four years ago and other health problems.

Ozzy has reportedly taken inspiration from GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose, who performed on tour with a damaged foot on a throne, and Phil Collins, who completed GENESIS's last tour while sitting on a chair.

A friend of Ozzy told The Sun: "Ozzy is refusing to give up on his hope of getting on stage despite his statement last month. He has declared: 'I am gonna fucking get back on stage.' He still has issues with his balance and cannot stand unaided for long periods of time on his legs. It frustrates him that doing a full-90 minute show, filled with his famous stage stomping and crowd interactive moves, is off the table. But he is considering doing gigs in a throne, like what Axl did in 2016 with GUNS N' ROSES. He was really impressed by that move. And he feels Phil showed that audiences do resonate with you.

"Ozzy worries that he may not be able to sit still, which could be challenging. But there is talk of bringing in some special effects and even stage machinery to have the chair move around. He feels a lot of options are on the table, but Oz is not ruling out Vegas or L.A. runs."

The source added: "That is Ozzy's determination. However, Sharon [Ozzy's wife and manager] is concerned about her husband being put through a heavy duty work load around gigs. Firstly, she has deep concerns about his balance and wants him to get back to walking properly, before even discussing comebacks. And she is particularly worried about him losing his balance and suffering injuries. Oz has spoken too about Sharon's fears of his Parkinson's condition prompting him to suffer falls like Michael J Fox."

Ozzy most recently gave an update on his touring status last month during an episode of SiriusXM's "Ozzy Speaks". He said: "Well, I've been working my guts out to try and get back on my feet. I've come to the point where Sharon says to me, 'You know what? The truth of the matter is you can't keep booking tours and failing, canceling. So, if I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine. But right now, if you said to me, 'Can you go on the road in a month?' I couldn't say yes. I mean, if I could tour, I'd tour. But right now I can't book tours because right now I don't think I could pull them off."

Osbourne also commented on the fact that some of the media outlets reported that he was retiring from the road after he released his statement canceling his tour.

"The fucking press drive you nuts," Ozzy said. "I mean, I looked in the magazine, 'Ozzy's on his last legs.' I'm fucking not dying… Come on, guys. Haven't I've had it bad enough already? If I get okay today, if the doctor said to me today, 'Oh, you can tour, it would take another six months to get it together, you know?"

Osbourne also touched upon his ongoing health issues, saying: "You've got no idea. You got no idea what my… I feel like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. The only thing I've got that keeps me going is making records. But I can't do that forever. I gotta get out there… [I'm] still in constant pain. I do to the best I can to stay away from the pain medication, but there are times when I go, 'You know, I've gotta take something.' I mean, last week I couldn't… I've been sleeping great, and all of a sudden for two back-to-back nights. I never slept a wink. If you're gonna torture me, just keep me awake for a couple of days. I'll tell you whatever the fuck you want me to say."

Osbourne was due to embark on a tour of Europe later this year, but in the aforementioned statement said that he has "come to the realization that I'm not physically capable … as I know I couldn't deal with the travel required.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans," the 74-year-old musician continued in his statement. "As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine. My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) treatment, my body is still physically weak.

"Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know," he wrote. "Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way."

In the statement, Osbourne added that he was looking into "ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country", and thanked his fans for "their endless dedication, loyalty and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have".

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled in early February. The trek was scheduled to begin in Helsinki, Finland, on May 3, and include gigs in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin and London, before finishing in his original hometown of Birmingham on June 14.

Ozzy has had extensive spinal surgery and other treatment over the past four years, after a fall at home in 2019 aggravated injuries he suffered in a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. But despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in recent months, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last August and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game last September.

Photo credit: Schneider Rondan Organization / Epic Records

The Devil Wears Prada - Mike Hranica [vocals], Jeremy DePoyster [vocals, guitar], Mason Nagy [bass], Kyle Sipress [guitar], Jonathan Gering [keys, synthesizers], and Giuseppe Capolupo [drums] - are thrilled to announce a deluxe edition of their eighth album, Color Decay, which arrives May 5 via Solid State. Pre-order it here.


The expanded version will be available digitally and on vinyl. It will include 10 additional tracks - a treasure trove that features two new songs, acoustic versions of Color Decay favorites, live renditions, and remixes. Collectors, rejoice!


"We've been so proud of and grateful for Color Decay feedback, and with that, we're releasing our first deluxe edition in 15 years. Listeners have all chimed in with favorited tracks and we've cooked up a bunch of videos; fast forward, we figured we had no choice but to grow the Color Decay universe even bigger," the band says.




And with that, TDWP have shared the video for the new track, "Reaching." Watch it below.


"'Reaching' is a song about unapologetic growth," says Hranica. "I feel we often hear songs of resilience and strength that don't really cover the dirty, harder times. It takes struggle and failure to better oneself, and I think that's the soul of this tune."





Color Decay tracklisting:


"Exhibition"
"Salt"
"Watchtower"
"Noise"
"Broken"
"Sacrifice"
"Trapped"
"Time"
"Twenty-Five"
"Fire"
"Hallucinate"
"Cancer"


Deluxe Edition tracklisting:


"Reaching"
"Ignorance"
"Salt" (Acoustic)
"Broken" (Acoustic)
"Sacrifice" (Acoustic
"Cancer" (Acoustic)
"Watchtower" (Live)
"Salt" (Live)
"Sacrifice" (Ray Volpe Remix)
"Salt" (Fairlane Remix)





TDWP will hit the road with August Burns Red on the second leg of tour next month.


(Photo - Imani Givertz)

Hard rock juggernaut Saint Asonia, featuring former Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier and Staind guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok, have released the music video for their single, "Devastate". Watch below.


The song is featured on the band's new album, Introvert/Extrovert, which was released last December via Spinefarm. The full-length also features previous singles "Above It All" and "Blinding Lights".







Commenting on the new video, lead singer Adam Gontier shares, "We’re excited to share the new official video for 'Devastate!' Once again working with director Justin Reich, we had a blast doing this one. Hope you all enjoy it! 🤘🏻"


Talking about the meaning behind the track, Gontier adds, "It's a song I wrote about those people in our lives that always seem to leave a trail of destruction behind them. I feel like we've all got, or had, someone in our lives that was just evil. Not caring about anything but themselves, and turning everything they touch into darkness. 'Devastate' is about that."





In addition to the stellar release of Introvert/Extrovert, the band is currently on tour in the US supporting Theory of a Deadman and Skillet.


Following the US trek, Saint Asonia will play a series of headline shows in Canada, along with a support gig in the band's hometown with Theory Of A Deadman.


In anticipation of these dates, Gontier says, "We are really stoked to be coming back home to Canada for a few shows! We're working up a killer set for the headline shows, and supporting Theory in our hometown of Peterborough is going to be awesome! Let'd goooo CA!!!"





Tour dates:


March
17 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
18 - Omaha, NE - Baxter Arena
19 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom
22 - Phoenix, AZ - First Arizona Federal Theater
24 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort - Grand Theatre
25 - Wheatland, CA - Hard Rock Live
26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern


Headline dates:


April
26 - Waterloo, ON - Maxwell's Concerts & Events
27 - London, ON - Rum Runners Music Hall
28 - Peterborough, ON - Peterborough Memorial Centre*
29 - Ottawa, ON - Club SAW (Sold Out)


May
11 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
12 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
13 - Montreal, QC - Le Studio TD
14 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial Bell


* supporting Theory Of A Deadman

Empire State Bastard have announced their signing to Roadrunner Records, and shared a teaser clip of their first single, “Harvest”, which will be released worldwide on March 24.


Founded by Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) and Mike Vennart (Biffy Clyro live guitarist and solo artist, ex-Oceansize), the grindcore extreme metal band also features the legendary Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Mr. Bungle) on drums, with Naomi Macleod (Bitch Falcon) rounding out the live lineup on bass.


The concept for Empire State Bastard emerged when Neil and Vennart would spend downtime on tour sitting at the back of their bus sharing the heaviest, most avant-garde and confrontational music they could find. Now, a decade on from its conception, the project is finally coming to fruition with Vennart writing the songs and recording all the guitars, and Neil focusing on vocals and lyrics.




The two have emerged with a collection of songs which adventurously probes slamming hardcore in the vein of Siege; the frenetic, visceral thrash of Slayer; the claustrophobic sludge of Melvins; the freeform vocal dexterity of Mike Patton; and the gargantuan stoner riffs of Sleep. It’s a band that’s rooted in the tradition of metal’s forefathers but informed by more recent waves of leftfield aggression.

Up next, Empire State Bastard are slated for a run of sold-out UK shows later this month with festival set confirmed for this summer at Download Festival (June 9), HellFest (June 18), 2000trees (July 7) and ArcTanGent (August 17).


For tickets and more information on Empire State Bastard’s upcoming live dates, head here.

One of the most iconic and influential albums ever, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, continues to find new audiences globally. This year, to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, a new deluxe box set will be released on March 24. Pre-order here, and listen to "Time" (Original Single Edit) below.





The deluxe box set includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions.  The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix, plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’, a 160-page hardback photo book, a music book, replica 7” singles and memorabilia.  For full details see full listing via the pre-order link above.




The box set includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album, and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes an additional new Blu-ray disc of a Dolby Atmos mix plus a CD and LP of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974. There's also a 76-page music book, replicas of two 7" singles, posters, stickers, a replica invite to the press preview of the album at London Planetarium in February 1973, and Thames & Hudson's 160-page hardback book with rare and previously unseen photographs from the 1972-1975 tours taken by Jill Furmanovsky, Peter Christopherson, Aubrey Powell, and Storm Thorgerson.





Simultaneously, on March 24, the CD and first ever vinyl issue of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974 will be released independently of the box set. It was originally recorded in November 1974 as part of the band's winter tour and this is the first time it will be available as a stand-alone album, with artwork featuring an original 1973 line-drawn cover by George Hardie.





Thames & Hudson's book Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary will also be published separately from the box set on the same day - March 24. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and art directed by Hipgnosis co-founder Aubrey Powell, this LP-sized book was created with the involvement of the band members.


The 50th Anniversary release will also be celebrated as Pink Floyd invite a new generation of animators to enter a competition to create music videos for any of the album's 10 songs. Pink Floyd has a rich history of collaborating with animators from the beginnings of the band (Ian Emes, Gerald Scarfe etc.), and in some cases the visuals that accompany the songs have become synonymous with the music itself. The 50th Anniversary will be no exception. The band would like to give all animators an opportunity to present a fresh take on these timeless aural works. Animators can enter up to 10 videos, one per song on the album. A winner will be selected from a panel of experts which will include Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Aubrey 'Po' Powell (Pink Floyd's creative director) and the BFI (British Film Institute). The deadline for submissions is November 30th 2023. Please see the separate post with Nick Mason talking about the competition.


On February 27 1973, EMI Records held a press conference for the debut presentation of Pink Floyd’s new album The Dark Side Of The Moon at the London Planetarium. 50 years on, in recognition of the iconic album and with the help of huge strides in technology, an official full dome experience with stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond and played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon, will be released in Planetariums around the world in March. Contact your local Planetarium for any screening details.


For further information, head to PinkFloyd.com.

Mentalist and former Blind Guardian drummer, Thomen Stauch, has released a drum playthrough video for the live version of the Blind Guardian song, "Lost In The Twilight Hall", originally featured on the 1990 album, Tales From The Twilight World. Watch below:





A selection of Thomen's previous drum cover videos are available below: