Guitarist Bobby Gustafson has opened up about his fall 2022 exit from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE. The 57-year-old musician, who is based in Florida, told the "Metal Mayhem ROC" podcast: "Yeah, [the cross-country commute] was hard. And with the economy, the way it was, everything started to get more expensive. I mean, the flights had doubled since I first started going out there in 2020. And to go back and forth, it was a strain on me, but it was a strain on the band as well, to try and keep themselves going. You can't be selfish and be the only one they're wasting money on like that. But they [originally] wanted somebody with a name [to be in their band], and they asked me to do it, and I was, like, 'Yeah. This'll be great.' So it just got to be where it's so expensive, and it's affecting every band, basically. Between diesel for the bus, hotel rooms, flying to Europe. I'm hearing now that they're taking a lot in Europe — they're taking money from your t-shirts.; they are taxing those bands that leave Europe to try and come here to play. Everyone's got their hands in your pockets. It's so hard to make anything… It's not cost effective anymore. It's, like, are you doing it [just to be] doing it, or are you doing it to make a living? 'Cause you still have bills to pay at home, so you've gotta make something. And, yeah, the worst part of it is really the gas and those buses, and everything over there is diesel, and that just went through the roof.

"So, it is what it is," Gustafson added. "There's no hard feelings or nothing. And it's just… move on."

A former member of OVERKILL, Gustafson joined VIO-LENCE in January 2020 as the replacement for Ray Vegas.

When Gustafson's departure from VIO-LENCE was first announced last October, the band cited "logistical difficulties that weigh too heavy to function in a productive manner" as the reason for the split.

VIO-LENCE's current touring lineup consists of vocalist Sean Killian, drummer Adrian Aguilar (EXMORTUS),guitarist Miles Dimitri Baker (VOIDBRINGER, INTERLOPER, ex-RINGS OF SATURN),bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and guitarist Ira Black (VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN, METAL CHURCH).

VIO-LENCE played its first show with Aguilar late last month at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Aguilar joined VIO-LENCE following the departure of Perry Strickland.

VIO-LENCE's founding guitarist Phil Demmel is sitting out the group's shows in Asia, Australia and New Zealand this month and is being replaced by Baker.

Notably, VIO-LENCE's shows in Asia, Australia and New Zealand feature only Killian from the lineup that played its first comeback gig in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California. The VIO-LENCE lineup that appeared at the Metro consisted of Killian, Demmel, Strickland, bassist Deen Dell and Vegas.

Strickland announced his departure from VIO-LENCE last month by sharing a video of him performing with the band and captioning it: "I'll Miss playing these songs !" After one fan asked Perry in the comments to clarify whether he has in fact exited the group, Strickland responded: "yes about a month ago".

Among the people reacting to Strickland's announcement was Gustafson, who wrote: "Good luck with what ever you do in the future. We had some good times finally."

California groove metallers DEVILDRIVER played their first show in more than three and a half years last night (Wednesday, March 8) at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. The concert was the first date of the band's "Double Trouble Live" 2023 U.S. co-headlining tour with CRADLE OF FILTH. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

As the world was upended in 2020, DEVILDRIVER didn't pause, releasing the acclaimed first installment of its two-part "Dealing With Demons" saga, "Dealing With Demons I". Now, as society emerges more hardened and determined than before, so does DEVILDRIVER's tenth full-length, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II".

Once again produced and engineered by Steve Evetts with additional engineering from guitarist Mike Spreitzer, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II" is inarguably heavier and relentlessly harsher than its predecessor. The new album represents not only the most vicious of the two records, but also the darkest recesses of celebrated frontman Dez Fafara's psyche and the final purging of his demons that have long haunted the band's music.

The first example of this new onslaught can be experienced via the band's unrelenting first single from "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", titled "Through The Depths". The undeniably grim burner features black metal-esque passages, deft guitar work and menacing lyricism — proving the evolution of DEVILDRIVER in this new decade. The track is accompanied by a "demonic" new official music video sure to get your head banging!

Fafara says about "Through The Depths": "'Through The Depths' is a conversation between a higher power and humans regarding the power of thinking ideas into existence, but being very careful of being arrogant behind those wants and needs. The first lines give this away: 'Attention attention, you're seeking, you've asked for, it's given' (the higher power says). Then the lines of the chorus are that same higher power speaking to humans, saying: 'through the depths to the ascension, nothing you wouldn't do for my attention, held to the fire it's not my crime, you've pinned it on me for the last time.' Meaning - don't blame the Gods (pin it on them) for your fuck ups. Meaning - put it out there and take steps to attain goals and take accountability. This track is the essence of 'Dealing With Demons Vol. II', and the conversations within the record get way deeper than even this."

International media mainstays like Revolver, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Consequence lauded "Dealing With Demons I", which debuted at No. 4 on the U.S. Current Hard Music Albums chart. BLABBERMOUTH.NET stated, "If the second half of this mammoth endeavor matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story." Rest assured, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II" doubles down on the brutality — and then some!

Track one "I Have No Pity" instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Fafara's icy, earworm warnings. The album's standout production immediately shines, with the track's thick riffs, haunting leads, room-filling drums and Fafara's vocal prowess leading the way. Eerie, insistent "Mantra" drops a wave of melodic aggression on the listener, instantly inducing headbanging with its breakneck pace and occult lyricism. Dynamic tracks like "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Summoning" cascade with alternating passages of sinister riffage and memorable chants. "Bloodbath" is as brutal as its name suggests, ominously bending and pummeling with immediate aggression, as "It's A Hard Truth" continues the onslaught, cautioning against delusion amid balanced melodic leads. Closer anthems "If Blood Is Life" and "This Relationship, Broken" are the blood-soaked cherries atop "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", bringing together all of the elements that make DEVILDRIVER the best at their craft.

Fafara adds: "'Dealing With Demons Vol. II' is — simply put — a conversation in its entirety about dealing with 'inner' demons. It's a conversation in song form between 'self and a power apart from one's self, and trying to bury old entities.'"

Last December, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with drummer Austin D'Amond and replaced him with Davier Pérez.

D'Amond joined DEVILDRIVER in 2015 as the replacement for original drummer John Boecklin.

In July 2022, DEVILDRIVER announced the return of original bassist Jon Miller after more than a decade-long absence from the scene. In addition to epic reunion, DEVILDRIVER added guitarist Alex Lee (HOLY GRAIL) to the lineup, replacing Neal Tiemann.

Ibarra joined DEVILDRIVER in 2016 as the replacement for former BURY YOUR DEAD guitarist Chris Towning, who appeared on the Fafara-fronted band's 2013 album "Winter Kills".

In October 2021, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with Tiemann. Neal, formerly of BURN HALO, joined the band in 2015 as the replacement for Jeff Kendrick, who left DEVILDRIVER in October 2014.

DEVILDRIVER 2023 is:

Dez Fafara - Vocals
Mike Spreitzer - Guitar
Jon Miller - Bass
Alex Lee - Guitar
Davier Pérez - Drums

Laurent Teubl, frontman for Germany's Chapel Of Disease, has issued a statement announcing that the founding band line-up has parted ways. It is available below in full.


Teubl: "It is with very heavy hearts that we hereby have to tell you, that after 15 years together we have decided to part ways. While the band will still exist and continue in a new lineup, this surely is an end of a big chapter for all of us.


While we would prefer to keep the reasons for this decision between only the three of us, we would like to thank so many of you for following us up until this point. We can really look back on this time with so many positive memories and while we’ve made the decision to split up this constellation, each one of us has made clear that since all we’ve reached together, the band should be kept alive and that our friendships between one another weigh more than anything else. Which ultimately went hand in hand with the decision we’ve made. While we therefore are grateful for so many opportunities we were given by a variety of different people and for so many kind words or gestures many of you have given us, we are even more grateful for the time, sweat and tears all of us have put into this band and for what we as a group of individuals have created out of this. This is something no one can take from us and something that we will always carry along our way. So, I hereby would like to thank David and Ced for everything that was and will be. I can only say for myself, that I treasure all of it in the most careful manner.




I would have wanted us to play our remaining gigs in March together. This, however, was not possible. We apologize to anyone that was looking forward to seeing us here and we especially apologize to the organizers of these events.


News around the band and new music will follow when the time is right.


Thank you."


Chapel Of Disease was formed in 2008 by vocalist / guitarist Laurent Teubl, bassist Cedric Teubl, and drummer David Dankert. They released three albums between 2012 and 2018:  Summoning Black Gods (2012), The Mysterious Ways Of Repetitive Art (2015), and And As We Have Seen The Storm, We Have Embraced The Eye (2018).

Rising Finnish metal act I Am Your God release “Shotgun”, the fifth and final single before their new album SINister is unleashed. Full of discharge and defiance, "Shotgun" combines groovy melodies and heavy riffs in one must-hear song.


"With its super groovy and rebellious temper, 'Shotgun' represents another extrimity from our second album called SINister. Lyrically it’s full of discharge, defiance and self-destructive actions: if you have already managed to drive yourself crazy, the only way to deal with it is to top the speed and fight the fire with fire. 'Shotgun' is an unambiguous party anthem, and will do the needed last preparement before the album release as the final single. Pull that trigger!" - I Am Your God







Hailing from Lapland, Finland, I Am Your God’s newe album SINister will be a true gem for any fan of In Flames, Soilwork or Dark Tranquility. In between heavy riffs and punchy breaks (“Warriors”), I Am Your God succeeds in writing huge guitar melodies intertwined with a crisp sound and catchy refrains. Surprises like a dancey clean part opens up for an emotional and melodic climax (“Jailbreak”) and a synth-based pagan vibe similar to Wintersun and other traditional Finnish metal bands (“My Venom”, “Burden Of Blasphemy”) create an enchanting ambiance that fits SINister incredibly well.


At parts, I Am Your God can go really heavy, as on “Another Day To Die”, a song that slams with blast beats and heavy double bass drumming. Some moments, as in “The Hell I Create” might even remind you of Dimmu Borgir, also because singer Julius Vetämäjärvi offers a dry and black metal influenced style of vocals that perfectly match the band’s guitar work and synth sounds.


All in all, there are so many aspects within the sound of SINister, which always maintains an affinity to melody, which makes all songs on the album easily enjoyable. Describing their record as “the culmination of our journey from the past two years with massive development as songwriters and musicians,” which clearly shows within the outcome of eleven individually strong tracks.


As the band comments: “At the same time this album process has been the biggest pain in the ass, and also the driving force on our lives. While listening to the record, you can taste lots of these kind of extremities, and feel our mighty struggling in life, which is also one of the main themes lyrically.”


SINister will be released on May 5th via Out Of Line Music. Pre-order your CD now at this location.





Tracklisting:


"Warriors"
"My Venom"
"Jailbreak"
"Burden Of Blasphemy"
"Shotgun"
"Dead Standing Tree"
"Another Day To Die"
"The Warden"
"Clash Of Beggars"
"Fulfill My Chalice"
"The Hell I Create"














 

Morta Skuld present a special 2CD and limited edition red vinyl LP edition of their classic 1993 debut album, Dying Remains. The release marks 30 years since its release and the 2CD features Morta Skuld’s influential early demos Gory Departure and Prolong The Agony, as well as rare rehearsal tracks.


The band had the following to say regarding the landmark anniversary: “We can't express how excited we are to celebrate Dying Remains turning 30 years old. We are so thankful for all the support and are honoured that fans have held this album in such high regard over these last 30 years. And so, three decades after entering the studio to record what was our first record, in the coming weeks we will embark again into the studio to record our new studio album. This will be ten tracks of fresh but yet rooted material, staying true to our sound as always, and we can't wait to share this with you all.”







Morta Skuld – Dying Remains 30th Anniversary Edition tracklist:


CD
Disc 1
"Lifeless" 
"Without Sin" 
"Devoured Fears" 
"Dying Remains" 
"Useless To Mankind" 
"Rotting Ways" 
"Withering Seclusion" 
"Hatred Creation" 
"Scarred" 
"Consuming Existence" 
"Presumed Dead" 


Disc 2
"Intro" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Sacrificial Rite" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Gory Departure" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Preacher Of Lies" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Senseless Killing" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Through Eyes Of Death" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Feast From Within" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Prolong The Agony (Crucifix)" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Of Evil" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Devoured Fears" (Rehearsal Recording 1991) 
"Eternal Suffering" (Rehearsal Recording 1991)
"Prolong The Agony" (Rehearsal Recording 1991) 
"Untitled" (Rehearsal Recording 1991) 


LP
Side A 
"Lifeless" 
"Without Sin" 
"Devoured Fears" 
"Dying Remains" 
"Useless To Mankind"
"Rotting Ways" 


Side B
"Withering Seclusion" 
"Hatred Creation" 
"Scarred"
"Consuming Existence" 
"Presumed Dead" 


Pre-orders can be placed here.


Morta Skuld formed in Milwaukee in 1990, quickly producing two demos before going on to release three albums on Peaceville Records (initially via legendary sub-label Deaf Records) in the early-mid '90s. Many years later, and with a new lineup, founder and mainman David Gregor then reunited with Peaceville for the recent opuses Wounds Deeper Than Time, and Suffer For Nothing, showing that none of the brutal and inspired magic of the band's former years had been lost.


Dying Remains was Morta Skuld's debut, released in 1993 and recorded at Cornerstone Studios. Morta Skuld brought a refreshing blend of heavy and brutal death and doom, along with occasionally more atmospheric and melodic elements, instead of many straight forward high-octane death metal releases prevalent in the United States at the time. This was an element which helped to distinguish them from many of their peers, establishing the band and leading to shows with such classic acts as Obituary, Death, Deicide, Napalm Death, Fear Factory, and Cannibal Corpse.


 

“Grief Eclipse” is the new single from New Jersey-based melodic death metal trio, Voidscape. The video for the song, which appears on the band’s debut EP, Odyssey Of Spite, due March 31st through Nefarious Industries, can be seen below.


Formed in 2017, Voidscape delivers a strain of death metal that is catchy yet scathing. Having previously released a demo and a single, guitarist Rob Torres, drummer Justin "Ninja" Spaeth (Tombs, Abacinate), and frontman Michael Ximenez (Replicant, Windfaerer) now present their debut EP, Odyssey Of Spite.


Here, Voidscape administers bitter-sweet leads, monstrous riffs, and verses of human despair inflicted by viscous howls. Each composition is a melancholic journey rife with introspection and heaviness. The EP was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Rob Torres at his own Frightbox Recording in Passaic, and completed with artwork, photography, and layout by Mike Ximenez.




“The video was shot at the shore during the Winter, where everything seems abandoned and forgotten,” Ximenez states. “‘Grief Eclipse’ deals with falling into a life-sucking parasitic void and allowing it to obscure your identity. It’s about losing sight of yourself and in effect having negativity reign. Feelings of self-doubt, failure, and futility can consume you as you become their vessel. As often as you try to claw your way out or break free, you’re perpetually pulled back into the grip of darkness. The song itself has a smooth melody that carries through the piece creating a sort of mellow heavy contemplative vibe.”





The artwork and tracklisting for Odyssey Of Spite are as follows. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.





Tracklisting:


"Grief Eclipse"
"Burden Of Breathing"
"Ludlow"
"Extinctionborn"
"The Unsaved"





(Photo by Michael Ximenez)


 

Norwegian rock outfit, Leprous, are currently touring across Europe to promote their latest studio album, Aphelion, which has recently received a special Tour Edition re-launch via InsideOutMusic.


To further enhance this release, Leprous drummer Baard Kolstad has now checked in with a special drum playthrough video for the song, “Have You Ever?”, filmed/recorded with Stamos Koliousis and edited by Fredrik Schumacher.


Baard Kolstad checked in with the following comment while on the road: “It was about time to release a couple of new full drum playthroughs of some newer Leprous songs, and here is the first out of 3 songs I picked! This is for the track 'Have You Ever?', maybe an unexpected pick to some, but we are also doing this track as opening song for the current set of our ongoing European tour. It has a special kind of Leprous intensity, with more broken up beats and breaks than usual. Can’t wait for all entertaining reaction videos to come in the future! And come see us on tour...”







Furthermore, Leprous have announced a next run of dates in Latin America for later this year. Dates below.





November
9 - Mexico City, Mexico - Circo Volador
11 - Monterrey, Mexico - Mexico Metal Fest
12 - San Jose, Costa Rica - Pepper Club
15 - Santiago, Chile - Teatro La Cúpula + Borknagar
16 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatrito
17 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Club Carioca


More dates to be announced soon.


Leprous lineup:


Einar Solberg - vocals/keys
Tor Oddmund Suhrke - guitars
Robin Ognedal - guitars
Simen Børven - bass
Baard Kolstad - drums

Kings Of Thrash, featuring former Megadeth members David Ellefson and Jeff Young, were joined on stage by guitarist Rick Ventura (Riot, Riot Act) during their March 8 concert at The Gramercy Theatre in New York. Ventura joined the band for a performance of the Riot classic "Swords And Tequila", featured on the 1981 album, Fire Down Under.


Video of the full performance, as well as an HD excerpt, can be viewed below:










Kings Of Thrash will be releasing a live CD/DVD package called Best Of The West… Live At The Whisky A Go Go on March 24. The 17-song set was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA on October 15, 2022 and also features performances with Chris Poland. The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


Disc 1: CD


"Last Rites"
"Rattlehead"
"The Skull Beneath The Skin"
"Good Mourning / Devil's Island"
"Wake Up Dead"
"502"
"In My Darkest Hour"


Disc 2: CD


"Orange Light"
"Into The Lungs Of Hell"
"Set The World Afire"
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good"
"Chosen Ones"
"Liar"
"Hook In Mouth"
"Mechanix"
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"
"Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying?"


Disc 3: DVD


"Last Rites"
"Rattlehead"
"The Skull Beneath The Skin"
"Good Mourning / Devil’s Island"
"Wake Up Dead"
"502"
"In My Darkest Hour"
"Orange Light"
"Into The Lungs Of Hell"
"Set The World Afire"
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good"
"Chosen Ones"
"Liar"
"Hook In Mouth"
"Mechanix"
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"
"Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying?"








Kings Of Thrash launched their 2023 world tour on February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The Thrashin' USA tour will cross the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. Watch a tour promo video below.


As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group will be performing the Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good and So Far, So Good… So What albums in their entirety.


Kings Of Thrash also feature Chaz Leon on vocals and guitar and Fred Aching on drums. Support on all shows will be provided by Hatriot. VIP packages will be available for all shows, here.





Tour dates:


March
10 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre
11 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819
12 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
14 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
15 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)

The Rolling Stones have released English and Spanish language lyric videos for "Rain Fall Down", lifted from the band's 2005 album, A Bigger Bang. Watch both clips below:










The Stones recently released new lyric videos for their hit, "Angie", originally featured on the band's 1973 album, Goats Head Soup. The videos, in English and Spanish, can be viewed below:








(Photo - Claude Gassian)

Tygers Of Pan Tang have released their new digital single, "Fire On The Horizon". A lyric video for the song can be viewed below.


Says the band: "Here it is! The new digital single ‘Fire On The Horizon’. Available on all streaming platforms plus YouTube and with a tasty little guitar solo from Francesco 🎸. Let us know what you think. If you are coming to Bradford or Preston this weekend you can hear it live." 👍😁








Fresh from their return to the road after the Covid-19 lockdown, Tygers Of Pan Tang are ready to release the latest album of a career that started back in 1978. But, despite their veteran status, they show no signs of stagnation or tiredness.


The band recently unleashed the digital single, "Edge Of The World". Watch a video below.


A new Tygers Of Pan Tang album is expected to be released this spring. Stay tuned for updates.

KILLING JOKE has released a brand new single, "Full Spectrum Dominance", via Spinefarm to celebrate the band's sold-out headline show at London's Royal Albert Hall on March 12. The epic track was mixed by Tom Dalgety (GHOST, PIXIES, ROYAL BLOOD) and is accompanied by a remix from Youth and artwork by longtime designer Mike Coles.

Under the banner "Killing Joke - Follow The Leaders", KILLING JOKE will perform its first two albums in their entirety at the Royal Albert Hall — 1980's self-titled debut LP followed by their second full-length, "What's This For…!"

This special event was preceded by four intimate warm-up shows, including an appearance at London's legendary 100 Club.

KILLING JOKE is very much music as ritual — raw, uncompromising and precisely targeted lyrically, and "Full Spectrum Dominance" shows that Jaz Coleman, Geordie Walker, Youth and Paul Ferguson, the original KILLING JOKE personnel, are currently delivering the best and most relevant material of their career, with no mellowing or softening of the edges getting in the way.

KILLING JOKE emerged in the post-punk early 1980s, their eponymous debut album exhibiting funky heavy rock influences before electronic and synth-pop styles also filtered through their music. They would, in turn, influence later generations including METALLICA, NIRVANA and SOUNDGARDEN. "Love Like Blood" would give KILLING JOKE their greatest commercial success, a hit across Europe, peaking at No. 16 in the U.K. singles chart in 1985.

Coleman (vocals, keyboards) and Walker (guitar) have been ever-constant members of the lineup and have been reunited with fellow founding members Ferguson (drums) and Youth (bass) since 2008.

Veteran metallers METAL CHURCH have shared the first teaser for their upcoming album featuring the band's new vocalist Marc Lopes.

The ROSS THE BOSS and LET US PREY singer joined METAL CHURCH a few months ago following the passing of Mike Howe less than two years ago.

When Lopes's addition to METAL CHURCH was first announced in early February, METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof wrote in a social media post: "We auditioned a handful of vocalists and while they were all great, Marc quickly became the clear choice.

"Both David Wayne and Mike Howe had a very unique, irreplaceable quality to their voices, so we were not looking for a clone of either. We wanted someone new, who could embrace the past, and also bring something fresh and exciting to the mix.

"Marc brings a very classic yet modern feel to the songs and we are looking forward to getting this new album out to you later this year [via Rat Pak Records]!"

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California in July 2021. According to TMZ, Howe's official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide. He was only 55 years old.

Last September, Kurdt told Metal-Rules that he really hadn't processed Howe's death yet. "I can't," he said. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to feel that suicide is your only option. And because he was like my brother and to find out he was in such pain and it's too late to try and help is just something I cannot get my head around."

Kurdt went on to say that there will be a new METAL CHURCH album in 2023. "I had written a new record and Mike and I had just begun the process before he passed," he explained. "So I had a lot of material on hand. I also wanted to complete the album in honor of him. I have written a batch of additional material and it's going in a more aggressive direction."

At the time, Kurdt said that he and his METAL CHURCH bandmates were "keeping a lid" on the identity of their new singer. However, he revealed: "We didn't choose a Mike Howe clone or David Wayne clone. We decided to approach the future as a 'new' chapter in the band's career. I think the fans will really dig it."

When Mike's death was first announced, TMZ stated that cops in Eureka got a call just after 10 a.m. on July 26, 2021 reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found Howe dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Four days after Howe's death, the surviving members of METAL CHURCH shared a statement on social media in which they blamed his suicide on the fact that he "was victimized by a failing health-care system and subsequently poisoned by the venom of Big Pharma," a term which refers collectively to the global pharmaceutical industry. "In short and in essence, he fell prey to the real 'Fake Healer'."

METAL CHURCH's statement was quickly met with criticism from some of the band's fans who felt that the long-running metal act was using Howe's death as a platform to assert its political views. As a result, METAL CHUCH pulled its original post from social media and replaced it with a revised version, in which the musicians said they were "in no way, shape or form referring to anything in relation to vaccinations, COVID or politics. We were saying our brother was hurting and while he was seeking medical care for it, the treatments he was utilizing did not protect him," they wrote. "Otherwise, he would still be with us today."

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

Photo credit: Jeremy Belinfante / M-Theory Audio / Secret Service Publicity

In the 11-minute video below, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä and keyboardist Janne Wirman walk you through the first official CHILDREN OF BODOM photo exhibition that took place in October 2022 at the Espoo Cultural Center in Espoo, Finland.

The "Strikes And Gutters, Ups And Downs" retrospective was created in close cooperation with late CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho's estate and the photographers whose images were displayed at the exhibition. "Strikes And Gutters, Ups And Downs" later moved permanently to the Bodom Bar & Sauna, which is also located in Espoo.

The pieces that were included in the retrospective are also for sale. Each piece comes with a numbered certificate signed by Janne, Jaska, Henkka and Alexi's sister Anna.

The shop and virtual gallery can be found at www.strikes-and-gutters.com.

Last month, Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman announced the launch of the first official CHILDREN OF BODOM book. Sign up at childrenofbodombook.com for the chance to get a name printed in the book, a special subscriber-only discount when preorder begins, and to hear all the news first.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman said in a statement: "Since we stopped making music and suffered the tragic loss of our brother Alexi [Laiho, CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman], we've been remembering so many great times that we had together. In 2023 it will be the thirty years since Alexi and Jaska formed a band, and the time is right for us to create a book which tells the story of CHILDREN OF BODOM in our own words and includes lots of photographs — many never published before — from our own collections."

As previously reported, CHILDREN OF BODOM's final concert, which took place on December 15, 2019 at the Black Box in Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland, will be released later this year as a live album.

Alexi passed away on December 29, 2020 in his home in Helsinki, Finland. He died of alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

Laiho and Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert. In 2020, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

Last year, Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman discussed publicly for the first time the circumstances that led to the band's split and ultimately Laiho's death. In an interview with Finland's Helsingin Sanomat, the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM said the real reason for the band's breakup was not that they wanted to stop touring in order to spend more time with their families, which is how Laiho explained it to Helsingin Sanomat in November 2019. Instead, what caused the group to split was Laiho's substance abuse, and that is also what eventually killed him a year after they went their separate ways.

OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth spoke to Canada's The Metal Voice about the band's upcoming twentieth studio album, "Scorched", which will be released on April 14 via Nuclear Blast Records. When interviewer Jimmy Kay suggested that the pandemic has been "good" to OVERKILL by giving the group a chance to focus on making a new LP without the distractions of being on the road, Bobby clarified (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It hasn't been good to us. We took advantage of the opportunity of the luxury of time. I think that that would probably be the best way to put it. It's directly responsible, I think, for the results, especially my results on it. I think the other guys, they tweaked and pushed and pulled and pinched and added things over that three-year period. But for me, I tore that record down a few times, just to make sure that it was a metal record worthy of the luxury of time, as opposed to a hit-and-run kind of a thing."

Ellsworth also spoke about the overall sound of "Scorched" and OVERKILL's mindset going into the recording process. He said: "We used [producer] Colin Richardson again. This is his fourth project with us. He's a friend. We trust the guy. He did a record for us from soup to nuts called 'Killbox [13]' [2003], and that is a heavy piece of real estate. I think it was just released in 2004 when the popularity of the genre was not way up there; it wasn't at its healthiest state. But that's one of the best-sounding fucking records we've ever done, and he's directly responsible for that. So when he did this mix, we didn't give him a lot of guidance. I mean, we did the production and kind of guided him along with regard to what our ideas were, but not generalization in sound. But I do remember saying to him — or D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist] saying to him, rather; we agreed on this — we wanted a record that you could play really loud but it doesn't tire you out. Sometimes you get one of those records, you put on four tracks, you've got it on at nine, and you go, 'I've gotta take a break. I need a nap. It's heavy as fuck, but I need a nap.' And I think he did that. And the way he did it was that he used, for instance, some of the natural drum resonance from the room that he mixed in with whatever was digital. He did a throwback guitar back to the kind of early '90s. So it's like capturing two eras — it's like capturing something in the past and exactly the present, and listening to those two eras simultaneously."

Bobby also touched upon the musical direction of "Scorched", saying: "It's eclectic. It's diverse. It's got different dynamics and characteristics. How do you make that in an OVERKILL record? It's traditional heavy metal. It's got mellow sections. It's got groove. It's got thrash. It's got rock and roll. It's got blues. It's, like, all over the fucking map. But you have to sew those pieces together and then take the whole thing and try to make it — you know, put your brand on it. And I think that that's what we succeeded in doing. And what's directly responsible is the amount of time that we had."

"Scorched" offered a new recording environment for OVERKILL as all members were able to record on their own. The mixing of the record was handled by Richardson and his assistant engineer Chris Clancy. Johnny Rodd helped with producing vocals, and finally, Maor Appelbaum took over mastering and adding finishing touches. The band returned to artist Travis Smith to create the album cover art.

The official the visualizer for the LP's first single, "The Surgeon", can be seen below.

OVERKILL played another of the album's songs, "Wicked Place", live during its December 9, 2022 concert at the Ruhrpott Metal Meeting in Oberhausen, Germany. Fan-filmed video of that performance can be seen below.

Last August, Ellsworth told Neuborn Open Air Festival about the way he and his OVERKILL bandmates approached the making of "Scorched": "Well, I wrote the record three times — my end of the record, I wrote it three times — and I destroyed the first two of them, because it was being influenced by the pandemic, and I don't think we've ever been those type of people. I started listening and I said… I'm not the most upbeat person when it comes to the presentation of music, but I think that if you compare OVERKILL to other bands in this scene, we don't always take the negative road; we try to take the positive road for things. And the pandemic led me to go on a different path, and I didn't wanna do that. So I tore the whole record down and rewrote it once I saw that stuff was opening… But it made me feel more comfortable with the fact that, okay, this is fresh, it's current. It's not something that was written in 2020. It was written in fucking '22, and it's gonna be recorded in '22. So it's a good feeling right now."

Richardson previously worked with OVERKILL on 1997's "From The Underground And Below", 2000's "Bloodletting" and the aforementioned "Killbox 13".

OVERKILL spent most of 2019 and early 2020 touring in support of its 19th studio LP, "The Wings Of War", which was released four years ago.

"The Wings Of War" marked OVERKILL's recording debut with drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM),who joined the band in 2017.

Menza Nation has released the video below, along with the following message:


"Watch Marty Friedman audition for Megadeth in 1989. Friedman is seen playing 'Wake Up Dead' with Mustaine, Ellefson and Menza, who would ultimately represent stability within the Megadeth lineup until 1998 when Menza left, followed by Friedman a year later. That lineup recorded four albums together, three of which were certified Platinum by the RIAA.


ITV UK rock show, Raw Power rare interview with Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson talking about tensions they had with Jeff Young and chuck Behler, the birth of the Rust In Peace lineup and how grateful, and excited to have Nick Menza & Marty Friedman join the band for what would turn out to be Megadeth's most successful lineup to date.




Prior to the departure of Jeff Young and Chuck Behler. The revamped lineup served up a lethal combination of aggression, energy and power...


In the 1980s, Megadeth's lineup was in constant turnover as Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson were unable to retain any one particular member for too long. By 1989, over a dozen other musicians had already been in and out of the band and in that same year, the thrashers auditioned Marty Friedman, who was making a name for himself as a hotshot guitar player in both Hawaii and Cacophony.


Megadeth's search for a new guitarist also found them auditioning members of bands from the local area Guns N' Roses, Heathen and Dark Angel, as well as members of Savatage, Annihilator and an 18-year-old Jeff Loomis, who would later join Sanctuary and then Nevermore.


Mustaine had even offered the gig to Dimebag Darrell of the then budding Pantera, who had yet to release Cowboys From Hell. Dime had one condition though that Megadeth also bring in his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul but declined because there were no spots for Pantera's drummer and Dimebag's brother Vinnie Paul."





For the first time in more than 23 years, Friedman joined Megadeth on stage as the special guest for a one-off global livestream from the legendary Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan.





Friedman joined the for three songs, "Countdown To Extinction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Symphony Of Destruction". Fan-filmed video can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Hangar 18"
"Dread And The Fugitive Mind"
"The Threat Is Real"
"Angry Again"
"Soldier On!"
"Sweating Bullets"
"Trust"
"Conquer Or Die!"
"Dystopia"
"À Tout Le Monde"
"Countdown To Extinction" (with Marty Friedman)
"Tornado Of Souls" (with Marty Friedman)
"Symphony Of Destruction" (with Marty Friedman)
"We'll Be Back"
"Peace Sells"


Encore:
"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"

Paramount+ has announced that the second season of adult animated series "Mike Judge's Beavis And Butt-Head", about two cartoon teenagers famous for their nasally laughs and love of heavy metal, will premiere two episodes on the service Thursday, April 20 in the U.S. and Canada, and in Australia and the U.K. on Friday, April 21, with further international markets to follow.

In the second season of "Mike Judge's Beavis And Butt-Head", Beavis and Butt-Head triumphantly return as two guys who like things that are cool and don't like things that suck.

Created and voiced by writer, producer and director Mike Judge, the characters of Beavis and Butt-Head originated in Judge's 1992 short film "Frog Baseball", which was broadcast by MTV's animation showcase "Liquid Television". After MTV commissioned a full series around the characters, "Beavis And Butt-Head" ran for seven seasons, from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997. The series was revived in 2011 with an eighth season airing on MTV. During its initial run, "Beavis And Butt-Head" received widespread critical acclaim for its satirical, scathing commentary on society. The show's popularity spawned various related media, including the theatrical film "Beavis And Butt-Head Do America" in 1996.

"Mike Judge's Beavis And Butt-Head" is executive-produced by Mike Judge, Lew Morton and Michael Rotenberg, and Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Ben Kalina and Antonio Canobbio for Titmouse.

Paramount+ also hosts the critically acclaimed Paramount+ original film "Beavis And Butt-Head Do The Universe", the 1996 classic movie "Beavis And Butt-Head Do America", as well as remastered versions of the classic series.

MEGADETH's Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum "Countdown To Extinction" album has been made available in full Dolby Atmos, submerging listeners in full 3D immersive sound with a new level a clarity and depth. In addition, "Countdown To Extinction" is also available newly remastered from the original 1992 stereo analog mix in hi res 96kHz/24-bit stereo. Both the Dolby Atmos mix and the long-awaited, remastered 1992 stereo mix are now available through digital platforms.

"Countdown To Extinction", MEGADETH's fifth studio album, was recorded in Los Angeles in 1992 as rioting raged across the city in response to the Rodney King trial verdicts. American tensions weren't limited to L.A., by any means, as the Gulf War was still fresh in people's minds, the state of the environment was becoming headline news, and President George H.W. Bush was seeking reelection in a heated campaign season.

Out of this turmoil, MEGADETH was inspired to create "Countdown To Extinction", considered by many to be the band's best and most accessible album. The group's previous albums, including "So Far, So Good…So What!" and "Rust In Peace", included songs that tackled topics like censorship and religious bloodletting in the Middle East. But none were as polemical as the sonic missiles launched by "Countdown". MEGADETH laced the songs with acid-tongued commentary about subjects ranging from the futility of war ("Architecture Of Aggression") to the senseless brutality of caged hunting ("Countdown To Extinction"). "Foreclosure Of A Dream" sampled George Bush's infamous "Read my lips" speech, making a statement about taxation endangering the American Dream.

Thanks to a perfect balance of hard-rock song structures, epic choruses, and fleet-fingered guitar work, "Countdown To Extinction" became an instant classic, benefiting from copious MTV and radio play. Spin magazine raved that "Countdown" "may just be the finest thrash-metal album ever made," and before long, songs like "Symphony Of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets" and "Skin O' My Teeth" had entered metal's canon of essential recordings. The album shot to No. 2 on the Billboard chart (it may have hit No. 1, if not for Billy Ray Cyrus' long chart-topping reign with "Some Gave All"),and it was certified double platinum in the U.S. within two years, with sales of more than two million copies.

MEGADETH was in top form, with Dave Mustaine, the band's then 31-year-old singer and guitarist leading the album's assault with lyrics like "You know your worth when your enemies praise your architecture of aggression," not to mention his venomous rhythm guitar attack. His band mates completed the picture, as lead guitarist Marty Friedman blazed with memorable solos, bassist David Ellefson jammed dizzying arrays of low-end thunder, and drummer Nick Menza attacked his kit. MEGADETH sounded hungry, and the band was rewarded when the album earned a Grammy Award nomination ("Best Metal Performance") and when its title cut garnered a Genesis Award from the Humane Society for raising awareness for animal rights issues.

WINGER has released the official music video for its new single, "Proud Desperado". The track is taken from the band's upcoming seventh studio album, "Seven" which is due on May 5 via Frontiers Music Srl. The 12-track album was produced by WINGER frontman Kip Winger and recorded in Nashville.

In January, WINGER shot music videos for three of the songs from "Seven".

Two months ago, WINGER guitarist John Roth told Sam Wall about the band's upcoming LP: "[There's] 12 songs on the album. One song's a pretty big surprise.

"To me at least, there's always a song on a WINGER album that comes at you from left field," he explained. "Like on 'Karma', we did a blues song — Kip [Winger, WINGER frontman] and I co-wrote a song called 'After All This Time'. On 'Better Days Comin'', the title track, 'Better Days Comin'', it's kind of funky and it's fun and it's different for WINGER; WINGER's a pretty heavier, darker, metal-ish kind of band. So there's a song on this album that's very different for the band, which is cool.

"It's meticulously produced and recorded, [with] tons of layers of background vocals," he added. "It's heavier lyrically, maybe. All of WINGER's records have a heavier overtone, because the guitars are tuned low; it's just more aggressive. And there's a little bit of a progressive flair on one of the songs. But I think people are gonna really enjoy the album. I hope it's well received."

Roth also spoke in more detail about the WINGER songwriting process, saying: "Well, Kip and Reb [Beach, guitar] are the primary songwriters of the band; they are the nucleus. But I did co-write one song on this album with Kip.

"With WINGER, it normally starts [as] the musical idea. A lot of people write from lyrics and melodies. Most of the songs I write, I have a melody or a lyric which is like the nucleus or the starting point for a song. But with WINGER, it's a riff, it's a musical idea.

"I remember when I was first co-writing with Kip on some songs on 'Better Days Comin'', we're not demoing the songs. We're writing 'em; we're recording the actual songs," he explained. "So, I'm looking at him, going, 'How do you know that you just want one more bar here?' He's, like, 'I hear where I wanna go with the lyrics.' And I'm, like, ''Cause you're making a lot of really big-time decisions for the arrangement,' and we're recording final guitar parts and the lyrics have to revolve around it.

"So everything starts with the music with WINGER," Roth added. "But as the songs are being written and the riffs are coming about, the melodies are in Kip's head. Kip's the maestro, you know? He's the maestro of the band. So he's thinking as we're writing — what the melodies are gonna [be], how they're gonna work around the riffs, and inevitably making final judgment calls on the arrangement as we're cutting the songs. [It] used to be you'd demo songs. You'd demo a song out, and sometimes you couldn't beat the demo. You'd be, like, 'There's a magic on the demo we cannot beat.' So WINGER really doesn't have that problem anymore 'cause as we're writing the songs, we're cutting the final parts."

Asked if he enjoys working that way, Roth said: "I like it. I like it, 'cause stuff moves fast. It's quick. It's exciting. Because a song can sit there when you're layering parts on a song for months at a time. It can get a little bit too thought out, you know what I mean? So when you're writing and you're creating the song, the final [album version], when you're writing [and recording it] instead of coming up with the demo [first], it's exciting. Things move fast."

WINGER's next LP will be the follow-up to 2014's "Better Days Comin'".

In December 2020, Beach described the new WINGER material to the 213Rock Podcast by saying: "It's WINGER — heavy riffs with big vocals. Very catchy songs and very heavy stuff — very progressive."

A month earlier, Beach told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that he and Kip had initially pieced together ideas for 11 tracks for WINGER's next album, but that Kip "threw away six of 'em, saying that this has to be like the first BOSTON record where every song is undeniable. And he just wants it to be progressive and like nothing he's hard before," he said. "I brought him these riffs that are just straight-ahead rock riffs, and he said, 'I already know what the next three chords are gonna be after I've heard three chords.'

"We're going for something that's poppy and sing-along stuff yet cool, heavy, progressive riffs — kind of like [2009's] 'Karma'," Reb explained. "That's what we're going for."

WINGER will hit the road beginning with a U.K. tour with STEEL PANTHER in May, followed by a U.S tour with the Tom Keifer in June. Additionally, the band will play a number of headlining shows throughout the summer.

In the spring of 2020, WINGER invited artists, friends and fans — including Alice Cooper and members of SCORPIONS, STEELHEART and WARRANT — to sing along to "Better Days Comin'", the title track of the band's sixth studio album. An official music video for the new version of the song was made available in late April of that year.

WINGER formed in the late 1980s and soared to immediate success with its 1988 self-titled release. The album spawned the hit singles "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak" and achieved platinum sales status. "Winger" also stayed on The Billboard 200 chart for over 60 weeks where it peaked at #21. Their next album, "In The Heart Of The Young", also achieved platinum status behind the singles "Can't Get Enuff" and "Miles Away". The change in musical climate of the mid-'90s, compounded with unprovoked ridicule on MTV's popular "Beavis And Butt-Head" show, led the band to go on hiatus in 1994. In 2001, WINGER reunited and has not looked back since. Kip also earned a 2016 Grammy nomination for the classical album "C.F. Kip Winger: Conversations With Nijinsky", recorded with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.

Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY will release their tenth studio album, "Vol. 10", on June 2. The 11-song LP features 10 new BUCKCHERRY originals and, as a bonus track, a cover of the Bryan Adams classic "Summer Of 69". The album was produced by Marti Frederiksen and recorded at Sienna Studios in Nashville. The album will be released in North America by Round Hill Records, in Japan by Sony Japan, and by Earache Records for the rest of the world.

Premiering today is the video for the first single "Good Time", The clip, directed by Tom Flynn and Mike Watts, was shot in Los Angeles. Watch it below.

BUCKCHERRY vocalist Josh Todd told Australia's Silver Tiger Media about the band's upcoming LP: "It's just a new body of work. It's where we're at today. The songs are really well written, and I think people are gonna really, really love it. There is no overall [lyrical] theme… You'll enjoy it."

Regarding BUCKCKERRY's songwriting approach this time around, Todd said: "The formula for us is to have no fillers — having a great record from beginning to end. That's what we want — we want to be able to have these unforgettable songs and melodies. And if they don't sound great, we just don't put 'em on records."

Last August, BUCKCHERRY announced that Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) would head to Nashville in late September to finish the writing process for the band's tenth studio album. The band was scheduled to begin recording the effort on November 4, 2022.

Frederiksen previously produced 2021's "Hellbound" as well as BUCKCHERRY's fourth album, "Black Butterfly", and co-wrote "Sorry", among other songs, with the band.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

After performing 238 shows in support of "Hellbound", the band is again preparing to hit the road in support of "Vol. 10". Touring kicked off last night (Thursday, March 9) in Bowler, Wisconsin, co-headlining with SKID ROW.

Earlier last year, Todd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he and his bandmates have never had the luxury to slack off on their work habits, even during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"When you're in a band, it's like it's your business. So if you just sit around and wait for people to tell you what to do, then you're not running a good business," Todd said. "We've always created opportunities within ourselves. We have to make schedules, we have to stick to them. We have to show up and work hard. We're so used to doing that because people have written this band off many times and we have many peaks and valleys in the BUCKCHERRY career. We have come back from a lot of adversity and had a lot of success. And we only did that by believing in ourselves and working hard because no one else is going to do that except us."

BUCKCHERRY burst on to the scene in 1999 with its now-classic self-titled debut album. Hit singles "Lit Up", "For The Movies", "Dead Again" and "Check Your Head" brought the celebration back to the party scene, recalling the gritty glam impact of MÖTLEY CRÜE but with a Gen X-demanded, modern self-awareness . Later albums continued to develop their reputation for volatile, mercurial themes and infectious hooks; such singles as "Crazy Bitch", "Everything", "Too Drunk" and "All Night Long" became screaming choruses for fans across the world. With their irreverent and bawdy lyrics, delivered with Todd's whisky weathered vocals, paired with filthy guitar riffs and high-energy, throbbing bass lines, BUCKCHERRY has sustained a hard-earned reputation as a not-to-be-missed live presence with regular touring schedules alongside such legends as MÖTLEY CRÜE and PAPA ROACH.

THE WHO guitarist Pete Townshend will release "Can't Outrun The Truth", his first solo single in 29 years, on March 24. The track was composed and produced by Rachel Fuller under her nom de plume Charlie Pepper, and all proceeds from vinyl sales plus at least 10p from every download will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The song was inspired by the difficulties everyone had encountered emotionally due to the lack of human interaction caused by the pandemic. It also occurred to Rachel that young people undergoing cancer treatment may identify with these feelings of isolation.

Fuller states about the genesis of the song: "We'd just moved house, and Pete was as happy as Larry up in his studio, working every day, and I put my back out, I was just climbing the walls, I couldn't do any creative work and obviously, we couldn't go anywhere. And I really started to think about how unbelievably difficult this period of time was going to be for so many people. I wrote lyrics and then I sat at the piano and wrote the music, and then I thought, 'Oh, I really would like to record it,' because it's really not a bad song at all — and my singing days are long over. So, I asked Pete to record the demo."

Townshend says: "I've helped Rachel make the demos for several of her theatrical projects. She's a really a fast worker. It's not that you say to me, let's go into the studio for two weeks and work on this project. We do it two hours later, or an hour later, it's done. So it's easy to work with her."

"Can't Outrun The Truth" was recorded in Pete's home studio in September of 2021, with Pete playing lap steel guitar and violin and singing. Once it was recorded, the pair decided to release the track and raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Townshend says: "The pandemic years were terrible for charities. The Teenage Cancer Trust was created in order to take the money from a series of concerts at the Albert Hall every year and various other things and that had all dropped out. So, the idea of doing this, which is it's something that has sprung out of lockdown about mental illness, but also for this particular charity. If you've got a scenario in which somebody in your family or a teenager has got cancer, they're being treated, lockdown hits, and you're not allowed to go and visit them. There's a poignancy to the whole thing about the song."

Rachel and Pete reached out to renowned British artist Damien Hirst to create an artwork for the track. The result is a unique one-off spin painting of Townshend, which adorns the sleeve of 200 12-inch singles of "Can't Outrun The Truth" (which also features Pete's solo classic "Let My Love Open The Door" on the B side). Pete has also signed each of the singles which are destined to become instant collector's pieces. The 12-inch singles will be available exclusively to fans in attendance at the Teenage Cancer Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall from March 21 to March 26.

Not only is "Can't Outrun The Truth" Townshend's first solo single in 29 years, but his first solo video in 40 years accompanies it. The video was shot in a series of one-take performances by the creative team of directors, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt.

Summing up the song, Rachel says: "I think one of the things about the song is that it felt like we drew a line, and it was, okay, back to normal. Nobody's really talking about COVID anymore. There aren't stories in the papers, and no one wants to talk about those two years. And I think for so many people, there is a long tail, people really, really struggled and just because people are saying let's move on. I think a lot of people are still finding it really hard."

Townshend agrees: "Rachel is absolutely right; this is something that deserves to be carried in our daily life."

Posted by Pete Townshend on Monday, February 27, 2023