In a new interview with Taryn Daly of Audacy Check In, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna was asked for this thoughts on his band being eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year and possibly one day being inducted. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it would feel great, I know that, to know that you're acknowledged in the industry.

"I've always felt like we were kind of the band that flew under a lot of the radar, because we were never a part of the MTV clique or the things that were blowing up during the times when the band was first coming out with our first album," Sully continued. "So we always considered ourselves the little engine that could. We came out and just chugged along and we did what we did every album, and these other big bands, big steam engines would come blowing by us and sell 15 million records. And we were always, like, 'Man, what are we doing wrong.' But up the road, we would see those bands break down and go away, and here comes the little engine that could, and we'd keep chugging along and do our million records every cycle or whatever it was, and that's something to be said for. It's hard these days to be able to continue to sell records in this digital world that's been created.

"So, if we were acknowledged in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at some point — which, by the way, '98 was our first record release, so this is our 25th year since the first record came out but 28 years since we started the band," Erna added. "And I don't know if they judge it by first record coming out or when the band was created, but either way, I guess we're there. And if that happened — amazing. I mean, we would be so grateful."

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

The Rock Hall didn't induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

IRON MAIDEN is among the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2023.

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1998 or earlier.

This is the second nomination for IRON MAIDEN.

The 2023 class will be chosen by a group of over 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry the Rock Hall has selected as voters.

In a new interview with the "Everblack" podcast, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna spoke about the recent announcement that the band's eight album, "Lighting Up The Sky", will likely be its final collection of new material. Asked to confirm that GODSMACK is not actually planning on calling it quits and will instead focus on touring, Sully said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, that's the plan. We're not announcing a breakup or a farewell tour. We're just letting people know that this is probably gonna be the last body of work recorded for GODSMACK. And there's so many reasons behind that, but it's been an emotional decision to make, because music is something we've always done with our entire lives. And so we're just thinking that maybe it's time to kind of be smart about this, to honor the fans.

"When you go see your favorite bands, and you go see METALLICA and AEROSMITH, are you really looking forward to [hearing songs from] their new record?" Sully continued. "Maybe there's a song or two that you're digging, but most of the time when you go see AEROSMITH, you wanna see 'Walk This Way' and 'Same Old Song And Dance' and 'Train Kept A-Rollin''. How do you not play those songs? They are the soundtrack to people's lives? And I'd like to think, after 26 Top 10 singles now, and five No. 1s, if we pull another three or four off this album, which is very possible — it has the material — we'll be at 30 Top 10 singles. That means we could do back-to-back nights in an arena and play 15 songs a night and never play the same single twice, let alone the 'B' cuts. So at one point you need to honor that career and go out and give the people what they wanna hear. And that's what we're looking forward to.

"It's not the end; we're just ending one chapter in our lives and we're gonna open up a new chapter and start to enjoy the sunset years by creating a greatest-hits show," Erna clarified.

Asked if he can foresee GODSMACK releasing standalone singles in the future instead of full-length albums, Sully said: "I don't think so. I don't feel that right now. I mean, you can never say never, but right now it feels right. The way this record laid out, the story it tells and how it ends, and how this record ends where the first record begins, it feels very resolved right now and it feels very complete. And I don't even know how I would top that."

Last fall, Erna told Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X that "Lighting Up The Sky", which arrived on February 24 via BMG, is "the most important record" he and his bandmates have ever written and recorded. Sully said: "I've never been that artist who says, 'Oh, this record is our newest record. It's our best work ever.' You can read any interview you want over my whole career, and you've never heard me say it," he continued. "I've always loved our records [and] I always knew there would be some good singles on it and hoped it did well, but I was never the guy that said, 'This is our best fucking work ever.' And I'm telling you right now this is our best fucking work ever. And it's because it's emotional, man. This is the last record we're ever gonna do. This is the last run around the mill for us. We put every single ounce of energy and emotion into this album. Especially for me, when I wrote a lot of these songs, it was about my life journey. That's really what the sequence of this album becomes about. Not that it was planned that way, but this really kind of mystical thing happened where I felt like the universe wrote this record.

"We went in there with no plan, no ideas — very minimal ideas, just jamming. And, 'what's gonna be the topic? What am I gonna talk about now? How many times can I talk about a broken relationship?' Blah blah blah. And then it just started happening where song after song that was written, as I'm sequencing it and putting it in the order that I would like people to hear it in… We're still old school and we like an album to have a flow from front to back. I love vinyl — I want people to listen to side A and side B. And this one really told a story. And when I started to realize that, I'm, like, Okay. Let me shuffle these around a little bit more.'"

According to Erna, GODSMACK plans to hit the road after the release of "Lighting Up The Sky" and never stop. "That's forever now. It's forever now," he said. "From the point we start touring, we will always tour. We may take some breaks here and there, but we're now gonna start setting up the greatest-hits show, because we feel like we're able to do that. We can now play the best of the best that the fans have identified as what they've enjoyed the most over the years and why these songs became hit singles."

Erna concluded by saying that "Lighting Up The Sky" does not represent "an ending" but is rather "a new beginning. This is a new beginning of an era — it's the beginning of our sunset years," he explained. "And in our sunset years we wanna create something really special for the fans live where we can take every cool moment that we've ever done in every album cycle — the 'Awake' album had certain things we featured in the live show; the 'Faceless' record had certain things we featured from the live show; and so on — now we can create a montage of all those special things in each tour and just do a 'holy crap' show. That's what I wanna create. We're gonna try to make it big and special and important, filled with all special moments that people have enjoyed over the years. And I think that's gonna be really satisfying to us as well, 'cause it takes a lot of pressure off of us to know now we can just go out and enjoy what we do. Playing music is what we love the most — live. And it gives us more time to connect with the fans, connect with the live show and just enjoy the best part of why we do this for a living."

Last September, GODSMACK released the first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", a song called "Surrender". The track marked the first release from the band in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

Jeff Pilson says that he doesn't know how many of the concerts on FOREIGNER's upcoming farewell tour will feature guitarist Mick Jones.

The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. Ever since, it is never announced whether he will be appearing with the band for specific shows — it just depends how he is feeling.

In a new interview with Kiki Classic Rock, Pilson was asked for an update on Mick's health. Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He's great. He'll do some shows here and there. It's impossible to predict the regularity of it, but, yeah, he'll come in. And he's doing great. He's happy, he's healthy. He's excited about the fact that the band is kind of writing its last chapter as we speak, or at least its last live chapter. I think, to be honest with you, it hasn't all quite hit him yet, if you wanna know the perfect honest truth. I think in some ways it's just kind of catching up to him what this really means. 'Cause think about it — that's been his entire life. FOREIGNER is his baby; it's his vision; it's his breath.

"I think for Mick this is gonna be a very interesting couple of years," Pilson continued. "There are probably gonna be some deeply emotional moments. And all of it, to him, is really significant. And, like I say, I bet he's only scratched the surface of having it really made its impression yet."

When the interviewer noted that FOREIGNER's final tour will coincide with Mick's retirement from touring, Jeff said: "It kind of makes it a nice, tidy way of wrapping it up, actually. 'Cause we did get to honor the original band with the release of the 2017 record that we did with them; I guess it came out in 2018, but we recorded it in 2017 — with that live 40th-anniversary record. And then now we're getting to kind of put the bow on this version of the band."

Pilson then clarified that Jones is not necessarily against the idea of touring without him. "I don't even think that's something he opposes as much as it just feels like the right time," Jeff explained. "And I think he feels like, 'Let's go out while we're still on top. Kelly's [Hansen] still singing like a million bucks. Everybody's performing at their best.' And I think — well, I know — that the objective here is to go out on a high note, which not all bands do. I'm sure there's a lot of bands that they simply need the money, so I can't begrudge them for doing that. But because we're in a position where we don't have to worry about that, we're gonna go out on a high note and make sure that this legacy is preserved with all the respect and integrity that it deserves."

FOREIGNER's farewell tour is set to launch on July 6 at Atlanta's Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. For the first leg of the U.S. Live Nation-produced tour, FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY.

Earlier this month, Hansen told the 96.1 KLPX radio station about what led to FOREIGNER's decision to stage what is being billed as the band's last-ever run of shows: "One of my things that was important to me is that I not be out there doing these songs that I shouldn't really be doing anymore 'cause I can't do them anymore. I wanna do these songs justice and deliver them strong and vibrant and then quit while we're ahead like that. I've seen far too many people who are — for probably many different reasons — still out there when maybe they shouldn't be. And I guess everyone has their own view of their vanity, whether it's visually or instrumentally or vocally, and I think that we're really at a peak right now. It's getting harder and harder to do this really difficult, challenging but wonderful catalog of songs every year, and I just wanna do them right. And I don't wanna start having to do less of them right."

Hansen previously discussed FOREIGNER's farewell tour last month in an interview with Rob Rush Radio. Asked if this is indeed FOREIGNER's last-ever trek, Hansen said: "Our plan is to do this into 2024. I've been asked many times by many different people to continue doing this. And, really, for me, it's a matter of being able to perform these songs at the level they deserve and that the fans deserve, and I cannot allow myself to do less than that, just as a human being.

"It's gotten tougher and tougher every year to sing this great catalog of songs," he admitted. "And it maybe sounds like I'm whining. I'm not trying to whine; I'm really fortunate to be able to have done this and do this with the band. It's just I don't wanna sacrifice the quality of these songs and the performance of these songs. So I think it's better to say, 'You know what? I'm gonna leave here strong and let the memory of this live thing be strong as well."

When FOREIGNER's final tour was first announced last November, Mick said: "Many years ago, I wrote a song called 'Feels Like The First Time', and today we are launching one last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances. The tour will start this summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years. While I'm sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere."

Joining Jones, Pilson and Hansen in FOREIGNER's current lineup are Michael Bluestein on keyboards, guitarist Bruce Watson, Chris Frazier on drums and guitarist Luis Maldonado.

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.

In 2018, Gramm revealed that he was retiring from touring as a solo artist. The vocalist made the announcement just months after he participated in FOREIGNER's "Double Vision: Then And Now" concerts, which featured current and original members of the band, including Jones, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Rick Wills and guitarist/saxophonist Ian McDonald.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want To Know What Love Is".

Photo credit: Karsten Staiger

Stonetrip’s debut self-titled EP was released via Golden Robot Records back in 2021 and showcased the band's impressive range. Straight up rock n' roll bangers like opening track "Sideways", "Runaway" and "Wild Hearted" came to be live favourites for their sheer energy and power. "Nightmare" went deep, showing a more serious side, while "My Angel" delivered a classic acoustic-driven power ballad, complete with a soaring, heartfelt guitar solo. 


The EP was just the beginning. Today, Stonetrip have announced they are set to deliver their debut full-length album on March 10 titled Run Free, an exciting mix of old and new tracks.


The band worked with Australian producer and engineer Ricki Rae of Lighthill Sound Recording Studio to polish their new songs into a brilliant shine that will set the benchmark for Oz Rock in 2023.







Tracklisting:


"Dark Night"
"Sideways"
"Nightmare"
"Scare Me"
"Run Free"
"Pretty Flowers"
"Leave A Light On"
"I Am Tomorrow"
"My Angel"
"The Show"
"Mercy"
"Runaway"
"Wild Hearted Son"


Pre-order / add / save Run Free at this location. The videos for "Leave A Light On", "My Angel", and "Runaway" can be seen below.











   

As fans anxiously await the studio follow up to CRADLE OF FILTH's highly-acclaimed 2021 full-length album "Existence Is Futile", the extreme metal legends led by iconic frontman Dani Filth have unleashed a thirst-quencher of epic proportions — their first live album to be released in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", set for release on April 28, 2023 via Napalm Records.

Recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during their "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following, the album serves as a time capsule of blisteringly intense live energy, and an astounding testament to CRADLE OF FILTH's renowned latest era.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England with recording captured by Danny B, the brand new live onslaught not only features a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's electrifying discography — such as "Nymphetamine (Fix)" , "Bathory Aria" and "Blackest Magick in Practice" — but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

Listen to the brand new, spine-tingling studio track "She Is A Fire", and watch its new accompanying music video below.

Filth says about the track: "This track and the other original track on this album, 'Demon Prince Regent', were both written after the recording of 'Existence Is Futile' and present a perfect, but not necessarily related, bridge between our Nuclear Blast days and the forthcoming album on Napalm Records. It was always intended to be a double album, so we just thought, 'f**k it! Let's cram some original material on there as well! The absolute worst of both worlds! The song itself is about the epitome of burning passion; the dark inspiration of love and the creature that has ignited it."

The two new studio tracks provide a hefty taste of what's to come on future CRADLE OF FILTH studio releases. "She Is A Fire" starts the album with a sinister riff, ominous atmosphere and spine-tingling keys. Dani Filth's renowned vocal delivery cascades in haunting screams and whispers atop hair-raising guitar leads and unrelenting drums. "Demon Prince Regent" slams in with a wall of sound and grim, blackened guitar leads before reaching a headbanging, bouncing chorus. Dramatic, score-like symphonics encapsulate the melancholic anthem before leading into a speeding solo, proving itself as yet another CRADLE OF FILTH classic to be.

Filth adds: "I would say a live record was long overdue, judging by the 20-odd-year gap between this and our previous offering! It also serves as a great accompaniment to the forthcoming co-headlining 'Double Trouble Live' tour(s) with DEVILDRIVER, and strangely enough is also a notable gap-filler whilst we prepare our debut album for Napalm Records, due for mass excretion in 2024."

"Trouble And Their Double Lives" track listing:

01. She Is A Fire (new studio track)
02. Heaven Torn Asunder
03. Blackest Magick In Practice
04. Honey And Sulphur
05. Nymphetamine (Fix)
06. Born In A Burial Gown
07. Desire In Violent Overture
08. Bathory Aria
09. The Death Of Love (bonus track)
10. Demon Prince Regent (new studio track)
11. Heartbreak And Seance
12. Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych
13. The Promise Of Fever
14. Haunted Shores
15. Gilded Cunt
16. Saffron's Curse
17. Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick Of Carnivorous Winds)
18. You Will Know The Lion By His Claw (bonus track)

CRADLE OF FILTH and groove metal pioneers DEVILDRIVER are just a few weeks away from embarking on the first leg of their "Double Trouble Live" U.S. co-headlining tour. Support acts on the tour are BLACK SATELLITE and ONI.

Positioned firmly at the top of the extreme metal genre, CRADLE OF FILTH reign supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in the scene, and are undeniably responsible for breaking ground for many of today's top metal artists with their trademark mixture of grim blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality and scintillating gothic style. The rule of FILTH began in 1991, followed by the unleashing of 1994's "The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh" — humble beginnings that expanded into cinematic classics like "Cruelty And The Beast" and "Midian".

The band's unyielding international touring schedule has garnered them a massive following both in the cult underground and at the top of the mainstream, defying trends while staying true to their roots. More recent offerings such as 2015's "Hammer Of The Witches" and 2017's "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" continued to bolster the unremitting legacy of FILTH, until the band, along with the rest of the universe, was abruptly halted by the global pandemic in 2020. But, as is evident by the staggering response from their devoted legion of followers, that time was put to good use, spurring the emergence of the band's latest, breathtakingly heavy offering, 2021's "Existence Is Futile". The album debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 with Hard Rock Genre, on the Hard Music Albums charts at No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 5 in Canada, No. 9 on the German Album charts, No. 3 and No. 5 on the U.K. Rock & Metal Albums chart and U.K. Independent Albums chart respectively, No. 4 on the Finnish Albums chart and many more, proving that CRADLE OF FILTH continue to own the dark.

Photo credit: Annie Atlasman

Royal Bliss have announced a new album, Survival, out Friday, April 7 via Air Castle Records. This will be the band's sixth full-length studio album.


"We recorded this album during the start of the pandemic in June of 2020. Hence the name of the album Survival. So far with the release of a couple singles off the album "Medication" went top 20 at Active rock radio and "Black Rhino" hit top 25. The album was tentatively scheduled to be released in October of 2020, but obviously was delayed, then delayed again because of a band member injury, and now, finally, April 7th 2023 it will be released in full to the world, so the anticipation for this album is quite high." – Taylor Richards


"The majority of this album came from the lockdown of the pandemic (or as we called it, the rockdown!). Like a lot of other musicians, we did our best to utilize that strange uncertain time to be creative and try to make something musical that our fans will enjoy. This album is all four of our musical personalities melted into a sonic soup. I hope you like it."  – Brian Hennesy




"In a time not so long ago, when the world was covered in darkness, there were songs gifted from the gods to help ease the fear and uncertainty of the future. Perfectly crafted Songs meant to inspire and unite, these are those very songs. Listen closely, so that you and the rest of the world may once again sleep in peace." –  Neal Middleton


Survival will be available on 12” Black Vinyl, CD Digipak, digital formats and special D2C bundles; to pre-order head here.





Tracklisting:


"We Rise"
"Black Rhino"
"Medication"
"Goodbye Love Song"
"Never"
"Full Moon Rising"
"Ritalin"
"Burn It Down"
"Chasing Stars"
"Fire Within"
"Fight Another Day"
"Lead The Way"


"Black Rhino":





"Medication":





Royal Bliss are:


Neal Middleton – Vocals
Taylor Richards – Guitar
Jake Smith– Drums
Brian Hennesy – Bass


(Photo - Brian Medeiros)

During an appearance on the latest episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, JOURNEY co-founder Gregg Rolie spoke about how he got to rejoin his former band during their February 22 concert in Austin, Texas. Rolie came up during JOURNEY's encore at Moody Center ATX to play several cuts from his time with the band: "Just The Same Way" from 1979's "Evolution" album, "Of A Lifetime" from 1975's "Journey" and "Feeling That Way" and "Anytime" from 1978's "Infinity". Rolie, who was also the original lead singer of SANTANA, and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon, who also played with SANTANA during the latter band's early days, then covered SANTANA's "Black Magic Woman" with help from guitarist Steve Lukather of TOTO, which is the support act on JOURNEY's 50th-anniversary tour. The JOURNEY performance ended with a rendition of "Any Way You Want It".

Regarding how his reunion with JOURNEY came about, Gregg said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Neal called me about doing this awhile back, and we just went through it over and over and over. And with the lawsuits that are going on — I mean, if you don't know about those lawsuits, you're living under a rock. I'm quoting somebody else that said that, and that's really true — it's everywhere," he added, referencing the recent legal issues between Schon and current JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain. "And they had their own problems. And that was it. And I can't be a part of that — I'm not part of the band anymore — but to go and celebrate this 50 years, which I said in the speech that I gave about it… I told Neal, 'Okay, when I get up there, I've got about a 30-second speech. That's all I wanna do. That I'm happy to be here.'

"JOURNEY is like a runaway freight train with no brakes — it just keeps going and going, with people coming in and out and in and out, and they do, and that's it. It's true," Gregg continued. "I was there for eight years, built it to that. And [Steve] Perry came in, and then Jon after that. And they carried this on to great lengths that I never thought would exist. I mean, I don't have a crystal ball; I don't know what's gonna happen.

"So, it was great to do," Rolie added. "And they arranged it really well where it actually became like an encore. And it was very cool. A lot of fun. I had a ball. I had a blast."

Asked if there was ever serious talk about him doing the entire tour, Gregg said: "We'll never know. [Laughs] I mean, I practice a lot, so for me it was kind of like 'Journey Through Time'," referencing his previous collaboration with Neal for the "Journey Through Time" concerts celebrating JOURNEY's early work. "I went over the 'Journey Through Time' stuff that I had, and I did that for a while. And then it just kind of dwindled down to other things, and that's fine. And it ended up being in Austin, and it was fine with me. As long as it happened the way it did. Honest to God, like this business is, it just kind of meanders into whatever it's gonna be. So be ready for it. So I practiced all the stuff. And then it finally came down to a certain amount of songs. And I didn't know that it was gonna be the way it was gonna be done. They had me to 'Any Way You Want It' at the end… I thought I was gonna show up somewhere in the middle. I did. I thought I was gonna show up in the middle of JOURNEY, because JOURNEY is JOURNEY now. I was just there [in the beginning]. From 1973 on, I was there for eight years. And then it's gone on 42 years after that. That's incredible.

"How many bands do you know that go through this kind of turmoil and still continue?" Gregg said. "That's what's amazing to me. It's still continuing. And JOURNEY has become JOURNEY; it's a household name. And it goes through changes all the time. It's amazing."

Rolie was JOURNEY's first singer, though his role quickly diminished when Perry arrived in 1977. Gregg left JOURNEY in 1980, just before the band achieved its commercial heights.

Back in 2019, Rolie told Rolling Stone magazine that he left JOURNEY "because I didn't like my life anymore. I've said this a million times and I know there's people that say, 'That's not the reason.' But I left because I was unhappy with what I was doing in my own life. I loved the management. I loved the music. I loved what we built. I just wasn't happy, so I had to blow the horn on it and just stop it.”"

He continued: "Everyone thinks it was because Perry came in and started singing all the leads. My God! Again, I was spread so thin with all these keyboards parts and singing leads, he was a welcome sight to me. And he could sing like a bird! It wasn't too hard to figure out. I was never against it."

Rolie went on to say that he was drinking too much and that he wanted to start a family. He also said that he was happy about the fact that JOURNEY became a household name after he moved on. "I felt very proud that I helped to build something that went to that extreme," he said. "I've always felt that way. Yeah, without me doing this, that might never have happened. But it's not about me. It's about all of it. It's a misconception in this business of, ‘Who does what?' We all did something."

JOURNEY's tour with TOTO officially kicked off on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presented by AEG Presents, the "Freedom Tour 2023" is making stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The 2023 run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.

In a new interview with Heather Brown of the 105.9 KZZK radio station, SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith spoke about the band's plans for a possible follow-up to last year's "Planet Zero" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's always songs that we didn't use on an album, but the way our mentality is on that sometimes is if it didn't make it on a record, there's a reason for it. So we'll go back and listen to it and see if there's anything in there that might spark something or what have you. However, on 'Planet', we had so many songs that were written, and everything we did… We don't demo anything anymore. We write it and then [we record it]. So for us, I just recently was in South Carolina with Eric [Bass, SHINEDOWN bassist and producer], and we were reviewing some of those things that didn't make it on 'Planet Zero', 'cause 'Planet Zero' is very specific, and I was actually shocked that a lot of it was really strong. I had forgotten some of it. But there was some stuff in there where I was, like, 'I wouldn't change anything on that, and that's way better than I remember' — things like that. But me and Eric have been working on some new material and what have you. I can tell you that you'll probably see something new for us not this year, but definitely next year."

Earlier this month, SHINEDOWN released the music video for its new Hot AC single "A Symptom Of Being Human", a standout track from "Planet Zero".

The "Planet Zero" album also features pop-rock anthem and No. 1 rock hit "Daylight", which People called one of "the most powerful of pop-rock songs created to remind us that we are truly all in this together." The band's video for "Daylight", set to the Amazon Original version of the song, is a love letter to their fans and shows the impact that the song's message — that you are never alone — had during SHINEDOWN's sold-out "Planet Zero" world tour.

SHINEDOWN also recently released a music video for current fast-rising rock single "Dead Don't Die", a rousing declaration of survival and an anthem about the resilience of the human spirit after trying times.

"Planet Zero" boldly confronts the societal forces that perpetuate divisiveness while offering a restorative path forward through empathy and open conversation - ultimately serving as a reminder that it is our human connections that matter the most. The album debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and the official U.K. albums chart, and at No. 1 on six other Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Rock, Hard Rock, and Alternative Albums. SHINEDOWN is nominated for two iHeartRadio Music Awards for "Rock Artist Of The Year" and "Rock Song Of The Year" for "Planet Zero".

SHINEDOWN's 24-date "The Revolutions Live" U.S. tour will kick off April 3 with support from fellow chart-toppers THREE DAYS GRACE and FROM ASHES TO NEW. SHINEDOWN will also play the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia this September.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick kicked off the new year with a cryptic post about his former band, The Almighty, making a return. See for yourself....





And now, due to unprecedented interest in recent times, the original lineup of The Almighty are back in force for the first time in 32 years.




Drummer Stumpy Monroe, bassist Floyd London, guitarist Andy “Tantrum” McCafferty together with Warwick will play a career retrospective concert to celebrate their 35th Anniversary in Glasgow, Manchester and London.


With buildings chosen from tours of old for the great experience had by all who attended, the band give you the chance to relive those days for one last time. Once these shows are over that will be it, the band will go back to being the legends of Brit Rock in everyone’s memory from those glorious times of the late 80’s and early 90’s.


Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 3rd here.








Photo by Kevin Nixon

In 2018, The New Black guitarist Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz took a bold step out of his comfort zone by launching a solo project dubbed Who Brought The Dog. The independently released debut album, Welcome To The Man Cave, was a far cry from anything he had recorded before in that he consciously kept his metal roots locked away while experimenting with a rock sound that found its way into the realms of indie, blues, alternative, funk, jazz, punk and even pop. 


In addition to Fabian Schwarz, the band also includes Frank Stimpfig (ex-Number Nine / bass), Markus "Fludid" Hammer (The New Black / vocals), Philipp Klinger (The New Black / drums), and Benjamin Haupt (guitar). With its unique sound and talented lineup, Who Brought The Dog is quickly gaining recognition as an exciting and innovative new band in the electronic rock scene.


Check out the new single and video, "Running Out Of Power", below. It is now available on all digital platforms




"Running Out Of Power" 





"Close To Burning"





"Live, Love And Struggle"

Roc Nation artist Dorothy has just released a new live visual “Black Sheep - Live At The Whisky A Go Go”. 


The performance was shot & edited by Matt Akana and features Dorothy performing at the legendary and packed Sunset Strip venue, with a crowd singing along to the chorus in unison.  A record Dorothy says is a dedication to her core fans and is currently Top 15 at Active Rock Radio with over 3 million official music views and 1.5 million views on the visualizer.







Dorothy recently announced that she will be performing at the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles on March 31st, a show sponsored by KLOS to celebrate both the one-year anniversary of Gifts From The Holy Ghost and Women’s History Month. Her complete tour schedule is as follows:


March 
31 - The Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA


April 
21 - 98 Rock Fest - Tampa, FL
22 - Central Florida Fairgrounds - Orlando, FL
28 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
29 - DCU Center - Worcester, MA


May 
4 - Fiserv Forum - Milwaukee, WI
6 - Xcel Energy Center - Saint Paul, MN
26 - Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival - Columbus, OH


July 
7 - Summer Daze Fest - Elko, NV
14 - Upheaval Festival - Grand Rapids, MI
15 - Rock Fest 2023 - Cadott, WI





 

West Coast deathgrind practitioners, DeathgraVe, will unleash new album, It's Only Midnight, on April 14 via Tankcrimes, today revealing the record’s first single, cover art, and pre-orders.


Comprised of longtime scene veterans, DeathgraVe is Greg Wilkinson (Autopsy, Brainoil, ex-Laudanum, ex-Graves At Sea), bassist Fern Alberts (Amber Asylum, ex-Bird, ex-Ringwurm), vocalist Andre Cornejo (ex-Cyanic, ex-Bird, ex-Casket Blaster), and Clint Zane (Owl, Hazzards Cure, ex-Isotope) who joined the band on drums in 2018.


It’s Only Midnight dives deeper into the realms of grindcore while lacing new dimensions to their sound. The drums add polyrhythms and complex time signatures in a seemingly effortless fashion. Meanwhile, the guitar playing combines bizarre chords, fast chainsaw picking, chunky palm mutes, and unnerving echoing melodies into a unified style. Bass lines diverge from the guitar parts highlighting the pulverizing drive of the music. To cap things off, Cornejo delivers the most demanding performance to date. The amalgam of the four members spews out a new and undefinable sound. To say this is just another grind album would be a vast understatement.




In advance of the record’s release, today DeathgraVe unleashes a video (created by Douglas Lawlor) for their first single, “Your Rulers Are Here”. Check it out below.


Comments Cornejo, “I really enjoy old, tucked away neighborhood bars. When one walks into one of these watering holes and there's four people that might as well be statues staring straight into glasses creaking their necks to shoot confused wide-eyed glare at the unfamiliar face fills me with an exciting and uncomfortable joy. I will sit down and order a whiskey covered in decades of dust and start to imagine the stories of local patrons, eavesdropping on their sluggish drunken conversations while buried in a book. ‘Your Rulers Are Here’ is my homage to all of these reclusive dives and the eccentric communities that find themselves stumbling in and out of them on a daily basis. The lyrics convey that a Lovecraftian cosmic monstrosity has infiltrated a small bar, infecting the libations with alien biological goop to enslave the local community through alcoholism that leads to sickness in which these malevolent creatures feed upon.”


It's Only Midnight will be released on CD and limited edition LP in three color variants (Cloudy Blue, Blue inside Clear w/ Smoke, and Red and Blue Wings w/ Splatter). A cassette edition will be released through a partnership with Transylvanian Records.


Find CD pre-orders here, and LP pre-orders here.





Tracklisting:


"Ant Baby"
"On All Fours"
"Tony’s Deli"
"Sewer Runs Through Her"
"The Resigned"
"Resure’wreck’ed"
"Rats Are Back"
"Slurring Sermons"
"Your Rules Are Here"
"Scratch, Sniff, Peel, Snack"
"Lonely Streets"
"Atomic Narcotic Withdrawal"


"Your Rules Are Here" video:





Spawned in 2013, DeathgraVe began to weave its own breed of metal based out of San Jose, Califorrnia. The band initially grabbed elements from many punk and metal bands like Siege, Rudimentary Peni, Napalm Death, Impetigo, Godflesh, and Zeni Geva as well as their own previous bands, and many others, yet their actual musical output never shared a similar sound to the aforementioned artists.


Over the past ten years, the band has toured multiple regions throughout North America and kept busy recording. To date, DeathgraVe has released a demo, a Mexico tour cassette, four split 7"s, and a debut LP in 2018 which dragged them out from the depths of the underground and into the forefront of the Bay Area's grind/metal scene. It's Only Midnight is the second LP on Tankcrimes while marking the first release with their current drummer.


Lineup:


Greg Wilkinson - guitar
Fern Alberts - bass
Andre Cornejo - vocals
Clint Zane - drums


(Photo - Myron Fung)

Chastain and vocalist Leather Leone have been a force in metal for over 30 years and The Reign Of Leather II is the second album to chronicle the history of Leather's vocals and songwriting. This album features all the tracks that Leather wrote the lyrics and melodies with David T. Chastain writing the music.


The band members on this album also include: Drummers Ken Mary (Alice Cooper, Flotsam and Jetsam), John Luke Hebert (King Diamond), and Stian Kristoffersen (Pagan's Mind/Firewind). Bassists David Harbour (King Diamond), and Mike Skimmerhorn (CJSS).


Says guitarist David T. Chastain: "No doubt Leather has established herself as one of the best metal vocalists of all time. This collection of tracks presents a different side of the band with her additional input."







Tracklist:


"The Wicked Are Restless"
"Share Yourself With Me"
"Soldiers of the Flame"
"Not Much Breathing"
"I Am The Rain"
"The Mountain Whispers"
"Once Before"
"I Am Sin"
"Bleed Through Me" (alternate version)
"Secrets"
"Catastrophic Heaven" (live)


"I Am Sin"





Chastain's albums from Leather's reign included on this release:


1987 - The 7th of Never
1988 - The Voice of the Cult
1990 - For Those Who Dare
2013 - Surrender To No One
2015 - We Bleed Metal
2017 - We Bleed Metal 17
2021 - 1321


The Reign Of Leather II is available via Leviathan Records here.

SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande has uploaded video of his drum solo from a February 23 performance with CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ, his prog metal project with João Hanysz, at SESC Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil. Check it out below.

CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ's debut EP, "Edge Of Chaos", was released in September 2020. The effort was produced, recorded and mixed by Andre Kbelo and was mastered by Carlinhos Freitas.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 12 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

In 2021, guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke to France's Loud TV about how Casagrande's addition to has affected SEPULTURA's sound.

"We're very lucky to have such great musicians here in Brazil, especially in drumming," he said. "We have great drummers and percussionists. You see [Carlos] Santana and all those great names, Paul Simon and stuff, always using some Brazilian here and there regarding the drum world. And Eloy started playing drums very early. He was made for SEPULTURA, man. I mean, he played in some other bands and stuff, but here with SEPULTURA, he's really exploding; he's really free to express himself the way he wants to, and SEPULTURA's music really provides that. And in exchange, he gave me especially to write many new possibilities. I think 'Machine Messiah' and 'Quadra' are the consequence of that interaction we have, which is great. It's so inspiring. It's fantastic.

"We are kind of always writing," he continued. "Sometimes he sends me some drum loops and I send him some riffs and stuff, and it's really cool that we build stuff from there. And he's a very professional guy — the best drummer in the world; at least for SEPULTURA he's the best. [Laughs]"

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande has had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined in 2011. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

In 2019, the now-32-year-old Eloy told Drumtalk that he didn't care about the long-simmering feud between founding SEPULTURA members Max and Igor Cavalera and his current bandmates. "I respect all the history," he said. "I have total respect for the past drummers, Igor and Jean. They are amazing guys, incredible guys, but we just live in the present. I really don't care what happened, what didn't happen. I respect all the music. I respect their music nowadays. It's just that we have to follow our path and that's it."

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Quadra", was released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises Green, Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and Casagrande.

TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider's first fictional novel, "Frats", will finally see the light of day in "late spring."

Dee revealed the timeline for the book's release while listing some of his current activities in response to a tweet from a fan.

The 67-year-old musician, who lives in Southern California, wrote: " A lot going on. Appearances on upcoming network TV Show; 'Rock Meets Classic' Germany tour in April; 'FRATS' novel released late spring; @Z2comics graphic novel next month; Release of 'Me' @OriginalFunko POP soon."

Last month, Snider told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show that "Frats" is "a '70s period piece and coming-of-age story; it's all about toxic masculinity and growing up in a very toxic environment and how it affects people."

Three years ago, Dee described the book as "a period piece/coming of age story set on Long Island, NY in 1972/73 inspired by true event." But he quickly clarified: "No it's not my story."

Snider previously wrote two other books: "Dee Snider's Teenage Survival Guide: Or How To Be A Legend In Your Own Lunch Time", which was originally published in 1987 but was re-released in 2019, and Snider's official autobiography, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic", which was released in 2012 via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Snider wrote "Teenage Survival Guide" more than three decades ago when he was approached by Doubleday to produce a sequel to a popular book from the '50s called "'Twixt Twelve And Twenty" by American music icon Pat Boone. At the time, the editors at Doubleday saw Dee as a modern-day pop figure whom kids would listen to and assigned a rock journalist, Philip Bashe, to work with the singer.

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda and bassist Mark Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever full concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of TWISTED's longtime drummer A.J. Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.
Guilty as charged. Just living my best life. A lot going on.

- Appearances on upcoming network TV Show.
- "Rock Meets Classic" Germany tour in April.
- "FRATS" novel released late spring.
- @Z2comics graphic novel next month.
- Release of "Me" @OriginalFunko POP soon.

Stuff... https://t.co/KZozOOn0Q7

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) February 28, 2023

PANTERA has announced two concerts in Germany after the band's festival appearances in the country were canceled following an outcry over singer Philip Anselmo's previous racist remarks.

The reformed group — featuring PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo and Rex Brown (bass) along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — will now perform on June 2 at Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart and on June 3 at Messe Dresden in Dresden.

PANTERA was scheduled to appear at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, two simultaneous rock festivals, which will take place June 2-4 in Nürburgring and Nürnberg, respectively. However, after intensive discussions with artists, partners and fans, the festival promoters decided to remove PANTERA from the bill in late January.

Most of the backlash that led to the German concert cancelations stemmed from the fact that Anselmo made a Nazi-style salute when he performed at the January 2016 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood in honor of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He also appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but later claimed he was joking about drinking white wine backstage and was reacting to the audience members up front who he says were taunting him.

There was additional criticism with regard to the fact that Rock Im Park takes place in Nürnberg (known in its English form as Nuremberg),where Hitler supporters held a series of mass Nazi party rallies between 1933 and 1938.

In calling for Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park organizers to cancel PANTERA's appearances at the festivals, the German Green Party said in the Nürnberg city council that Anselmo "repeatedly and deliberately made Nazi gestures and yelled racist slogans." Réka Lörincz, the spokeswoman for the Greens against racism and right-wing extremism, added that "the former Nazi party premises" were "being deliberately misused for the staging and reproduction of racist and inhuman ideology." The Green Party rep told Germany's Stern magazine that Anselmo's apology for his white power outburst was "not credible enough" and that hosting the band on the former Nazi Party rally grounds "clearly exceeds the limit of what is bearable."

“We are relieved about the organizer's decision not to offer the band PANTERA a stage. Their singer Phil Anselmo had repeatedly attracted attention with anti-Semitic and racist incidents," Lörincz wrote in a statement on the Green Party's web site. "Therefore, a performance was unimaginable for us — especially on the former Nazi party rally grounds."

Back in May 2019, Anselmo was asked by U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine if he feels the "Dimebash" debate is something he has moved past. He responded: "I feel like it's ridiculous. I made an off-color joke and 'Boom!' — it's like I'm literally Hitler! I'm not. I take each individual one at a time, in the way that any logical individual will. I have love in my heart. Over the years, I've learned to take the first step with love and to put good faith first. I get along with everybody. If there's any doubt about my political leanings, people should get it out of their heads. I was raised amongst a dazzling [cast of characters] from the theatre, from the mental hospital, from all walks of life — all colors, creeds and kinds. It's absurd to me that anyone in this day and age would judge anyone by the color of their skin, their heritage or their religion. I'm a harmless guy. I'm a reactionary, not a troublemaker."

In the days following the "Dimebash" incident, MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn — who played PANTERA songs with Anselmo at the event — released an eleven-minute response video in which he denounced Anselmo as a "big bully" and a racist. He concluded by saying that he would never play another PANTERA song again. ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, who is Jewish, released a statement on his official web site saying, "Philip's actions were vile" and invited Anselmo to make a donation to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who hadn't spoken to Anselmo since the band's split in 2003, was dismissive when asked for a comment on the singer's white-power salute. "I can't speak for him," Vinnie said in a 2016 interview. "He's done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what PANTERA was back then and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it's sad."

In 2017, Anselmo blasted "false journalism in the metal community" for suggesting he was racist because of his actions at "Dimebash".

In the weeks after the "Dimebash" incident, Anselmo's DOWN project canceled a number of shows, including at France's Hellfest, Dutch festival FortaRock and U.K.'s Download. The singer wrote an open letter to the Hellfest organizers in which he said it was not the right time for DOWN to tour. He also revealed that he was suffering from a recurring knee injury and needed rehabilitation.

2 more European shows! 2 June - Stuttgart & 3 June - Dresden. Public onsale starts 3 March at 11am CET.

Posted by Pantera on Tuesday, February 28, 2023