The Rolling Stones have 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:










Variety is reporting that almost 60 years since first meeting, it looks like the Rolling Stones and the two surviving Beatles may come together on a new Stones album.


Variety hears from multiple sources that Paul McCartney has recorded bass parts for a forthcoming Rolling Stones project being helmed by 2021 Grammy producer of the year, Andrew Watt. Ringo Starr is also slated to play on the yet-to-be-announced album.


Recording sessions took place in Los Angeles in recent weeks and, while it’s unclear which tracks will make the final cut - or whether McCartney and Starr would end up on the same song - the album’s production is nearing the mixing phase.


Frontman Mick Jagger said in 2021 that the group has “a lot of tracks done,” and guitarist Keith Richards said in a New Year’s Instagram post last month that “There’s some new music on its way.”


Watt, who shared two Grammys at the February 5 ceremony for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, has become the go-to for veteran rock acts, despite having a discography that leans heavily into pop terrain — like Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” and Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart.” The guitar virtuoso has himself sat in with such legacy acts as Pearl Jam, Iggy Pop and, of course, Ozzy. He also boasts a close relationship with Elton John, with whom he worked on John’s “Lockdown Sessions” in 2020, which included the Dua Lipa-assisted “Cold Heart,” and the Britney Spears-John duet “Hold Me Closer” in 2021.


McCartney and Watt have worked together in the past. In a 2021 interview, he said as much, describing a meeting with the producer. “I went around for a cup of tea, and of course we ended up making a track,” said McCartney. More recently, he was asked in a Q&A posted on his official website what he was looking forward to in 2023. Said the Beatle: “I’ve been recording with a couple of people, so I’m looking forward to doing even more. I’ve started working with this producer called Andrew Watt, and he’s very interesting — we’ve had some fun.” Though he did add, “Beyond that, I don’t have anything massive planned … at the moment!”


Read more at Variety.

Friday, February 24th saw pagan folk metal masters Heidevolk release their new, seventh studio album Wederkeer via Napalm Records. They have shared an unboxing video for the album, showcasing the various formats available.





In a world of myths, nature and legends of the Veluwe region of the Netherlands, the band’s upcoming concept album - based on the interpretations of the runes - is a powerful odyssey, deeply rooted in metal and folklore. With dual clean vocals, irresistibly catchy songs, traditional instruments and fast metal riffing all fueled by their folkloric fire and pagan pride, Heidevolk delivers an uncompromising sound and musical adventure. Wederkeer (meaning to “return” or “revive”), makes no exception, and proves why the Arnhem-based six-piece is one of the best, unrivaled and most exciting bands of their genre and beyond. 




The new album was recorded at Sandlane Recording Facilities, mixed by Joost van den Broek and mastered by Darius van Helfteren. Wederkeer once again proves that Heidevolk knows how to perfectly release proud hymns and direct, in-your-face metal songs, and the addition of broad choirs, various folk musicians, on vocals, violins, cello, bukkehorns and more traditional medieval instruments make Wederkeer not only a bombastic folk and pagan metal record at its best, but a glorious album return of Heidevolk.





Wederkeer is available in the following formats:


- 6 page CD Digipak
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Dark Green
- Deluxe Wooden Box
- Digital album


Order here.





Wederkeer tracklisting:


"Hagalaz"
"Drink met de Goden (Walhalla)"
"Klauwen Vooruit"
"Schildenmuur"
"De Strijd Duurt Voort"
"Oeros"
"Wederkeer"
"IJzige Nacht"
"Raidho"
"Ver Verlangen"
"Holda"
"Zomervuur"
"Drinking with the Gods (Valhalla)" *Included on physical versions only
"The Hunter's Claw" *Included on physical versions only


"Wederkeer" video:





"Drink met de Goden (Walhalla)":





"Klauwen Vooruit" video:





“De Strijd Duurt Voort”





Lineup:


Bass guitars, backing vocals: Rowan Roodbaert
Guitars, backing vocals: Koen Vuurdichter
Vocals, accordion: Jacco Bühnebeest
Guitars: Mat Snaerenslijper
Vocals: Daniël Den Dorstighe
Drums: Kevin Houtsplijter


(Photo - Sietse Schoenmakers)

Are you ready to start a Revolution? Since launching in January of 2022, Tailgunner have taken the world of underground heavy metal by the scruff of the neck, and grasp with an iron first.


Today, Tailgunner release their hymn "Revolution Scream" and return to all streaming platforms. Listen here, and watch a video below.







“Yesterdays embers are ash now, the future always out of sight. We only know that it’s ours now, so take it - This is your right", says the band. Tailgunner send a message direct to those who try to claim that heavy metal is dead. A slice of melodic power metal, with a ‘more is more’ video rarely seen this side of 1990, "Revolution Scream" is a metal anthem about staking your claim to the future, and grabbing with both hands.





You can get the song also on the strictly limited (500 copies) MCD "Crashdive" at the Atomic Fire Webshop here. Or send your request to shop@fireflash-records.com.


The band are also confirmed to play their first German show at Keep It True - Rising festival in Würzburg, Germany (October 6 - 7) In October, Tailgunner return to the UK, for the Guns For Hire headline tour.

Courtesy Of Metal Justice Tokyo, footage of Megadeth's entire February 24th show in Tokyo, Japan at Toyosu Pit can be viewed below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Hangar 18"
"Dread and the Fugitive Mind"
"The Threat Is Real"
"Angry Again"
"Soldier On!"
"Sweating Bullets"
"Trust"
"Conquer or Die!"
"Dystopia"
"Tornado of Souls"
"Symphony of Destruction"
"We'll Be Back"
"Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?"
"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"










For the first time in more than 23 years, Megadeth alumni Marty Friedman will join Megadeth on stage as the special guest for a one-off global livestream from the legendary Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan on February 27.


"Marty and I have remained friends over 23 years, since we last played together. However, I hear his music every night, and he still is among the top guitar players I’ve ever heard. This is an amazing treat for the fans, as well as myself. To be honest, I may drift off while listening to Kiko and Marty play together!" - Dave Mustaine 





Fans will receive virtual VIP access to the band pre-show, with an exclusive behind-the-scenes video capturing their trip through Japan, all leading into the band’s first-ever live performance at the world-famous Budokan Arena.


The show will then be re-broadcast three times, so fans around the world can watch at a time suitable for them. Thereafter, the whole performance will be available to watch on-demand for another 48 hours, as follows:


• Live Show: 8pm JST / 11am GMT / 6am EST
• Rebroadcast #1: 7pm GMT / 8pm CET
• Rebroadcast #2: 8pm EST
• Rebroadcast #3: 8pm PST
• On Demand Opens: Monday 27 February 11.30pm PST / 02.30am EST* / 07.30am GMT* (Tuesday 28 February).
• On Demand Closes: Wednesday 1 March at 11.30pm PST / 02.30am EST / 07.30am GMT* (*Thursday 2 March).


Ticketholders will get access to the livestream, all re-broadcasts, and to on-demand replays. Fans can buy tickets and watch all broadcasts and on-demand replays from anywhere around the world, EXCEPT Japan.


For fans in Japan, ‘They Only Come Out at Night’ is only accessible via Wowow.


Exclusive livestream merchandise is available to pre-order with tickets, during the livestream, and during the on-demand period. Livestream tickets are on sale now, here.

Following last year's release of their Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous album, selling out shows throughout Europe on their headline tour, and supporting Electric Callboy and other acts on the road, Finland’s Blind Channel are kicking off 2023 with their new standalone single, "Flatline", via Century Media Records.


Stream and purchase the album here, and watch the video for "Flatline" below.


“This is the beginning of the next chapter of our career,” say the band. “"Flatline" is Blind Channel on steroids. We captured the energy of last year’s 130 shows into one song and threw it to a Berlin rave. The song was written with songwriting duo Blyne and it’s one of the heaviest tracks we’ve ever made. This is pretty unique from scratch. If you’re sick and tired of ups and downs, this song might help you.”







The single is released ahead of a massive touring schedule for Blind Channel across the first half of 2023, taking in headline dates throughout Europe and three huge support tours with I Prevail, Electric Callboy and Lacuna Coil. Find the band's tour itinerary here.





“It took me eight years to become an overnight success.” This line, buried away in the fourth Blind Channel album, Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous, is where their uncompromising journey finds its continuation. When forming in Finland in 2013, vocalists Niko Moilanen and Joel Hokka, drummer Tommi Lalli, guitarist Joonas Porko and bass player Olli Matela, plus the later addition of DJ and percussionist Alex Mattson, knew that it was all about going big or going home.


The stepping stone of Eurovision, where they were Finland’s representatives, allowed them to amass more followers but, in truth, they had already been building a large and fervent fanbase thanks to their three previous albums – Revolutions (2016), Blood Brothers (2018) and Violent Pop (2020).


Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous takes the next step, offering a brutal, sincere and swaggering depiction of their lives, backed by their trademark and unforgiving “violent pop music”. Whilst being a homage to the Good Charlotte track "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous", it’s most importantly a statement of intent that this is merely the beginning.


(Photo - Natalia Pastakeda)

Canadian metallers ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN will release their second full-length album, "Kingdom Undone", on May 26 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band began recording the LP in August of 2021 at Mark Lewis Studios in Hendersonville, Tennessee and at its own studio in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, and concluded in December 2021. The album was engineered by the band and Mark Lewis, who also was in change of producing, mixing and mastering. The artwork for the album was created by Travis Smith.

ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN said: "After many obstacles and times of uncertainty, we are reenergized, refocused and ready to finally show the world what we have been working on! 'Kingdom Undone' is ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN firing on all cylinders. This is our masterpiece and we can’t wait to play these songs for you on the road!"

Today, the band set the stage with the incendiary fretwork and pummeling drums that erupts throughout "Scars". The contagious melody will lead listeners on an energetic journey that will leave them shouting along "Why don't you show your scars?"

ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN vocalist Jamison Friesen adds: "We are very excited to release the first track off our upcoming album 'Kingdom Undone'! 'Scars' is about being real with the people around you and to stop pretending to be something you're not. It doesn't matter what's on the outside, it's about having the courage not to hide who you are! We look forward to playing it on our upcoming tours."

"Kingdom Undone" track listing:

01. Scars
02. Your Fiction
03. Trust
04. Ghosts
05. Hell Comes Home
06. One More Day
07. Liminal
08. Burn
09. Who The Masters Serve
10. Bury Me
11. Hallowed

Next month, ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN will hit the road with San Francisco Bay Area thrash legends HEATHEN. The "Empire Of The Blind" tour will kick off on March 9 in Rhode Island and will travel up and down the East Coast, making stops in Chicago, Atlanta and Orlando before concluding in Philadelphia on March 26.

Tour dates:

March 09 - Providence, RI - Alchemy
March 10 - Brooklyn, NY - The Kingsland
March 11 - Montreal, QC - Petit Campus
March 12 - Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee’s
March 13 - Detroit, MI - The Sanctuary
March 14 - Cudahy, WI - X-Ray
March 15 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
March 16 - Cincinnati, OH - Legends
March 17 - Knoxville, TN - The Brickyard
March 18 - Atlanta, GA - Boggs
March 19 - Tampa, FL - Brass Mug
March 20 - Miami, FL - Gramps
March 21 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
March 23 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
March 24 - Chesapeake, VA - Riffhouse
March 25 - Baltimore, MD - Metro
March 26 - Philadelphia, PA - Milkboy

ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN is:

Jamison Friesen - Vocals
Brendan Anderson - Guitar
Ryan Sorensen - Guitar
Liam Frith - Bass
Ty Fox - Drums

WHITESNAKE returned in 2008 with "Good To Be Bad", the band's 10th studio album and its first in over a decade. Fans embraced the comeback, pushing the album into the Top 10 in the U.K. and flocking to shows on the band's massive world tour. Today, album tracks like "Best Years" and "Summer Rain" have taken their place in the band's live repertoire alongside global hits like "Here I Go Again" and "Still Of The Night".

WHITESNAKE explores the group's 2008 return with the upcoming legacy retrospective, "Still Good To Be Bad". The collection will be available in different configurations on April 28, a few days after the original album's 15th anniversary. The first collection is a 4-CD/Blu-ray with two new versions of the original album (one remastered and the other newly remixed),a selection of rare and unreleased studio and live recordings from the period, and videos all the music videos, interviews, and electrifying live performances from the "Good To Be Bad" world tour.

Three other versions of "Still Good To Be Bad" will also be available on April 28. The album's 2023 remix will be released on vinyl as a double-LP and a single CD. "Still Good To Be Bad" also comes as a 2-CD set that includes the remixed and remastered versions of the album. The new alternate mixes also feature new background vocals from the "Hook City Harlots", Cami Thompson, Misty Rae and Jackie Landrum, plus the "Hook City Horns" with Rick Metz on saxes and the trumpet of Joshua Reed.

The newly remixed version of "Can You Hear The Wind Blow" is out today as a digital single and new music video.

WHITESNAKE founder and lead singer David Coverdale played an integral role in making the new collection, serving as its executive producer. In the set's liner notes, Coverdale traces the creative spark for "Good To Be Bad" back to 2003 when he reconvened WHITESNAKE for a tour celebrating the band's 25th anniversary.

"We went out for two months and came back nine months later, and I had a big smile on my face and felt really energized," David said. "I thought, 'Wow! I've got thirty years of music here that I can go out and play, and I don't have to promote a new record…I can just have fun out there.'"

The anniversary ended, but the tour buses kept rolling as WHITESNAKE remained in demand on the road. As a result, in 2006, the band released "Live…In The Shadow Of The Blues", a concert album that also introduced four new studio recordings. Those songs raised fans' hopes for a new WHITESNAKE studio album, the first since 1997's "Restless Heart".

Coverdale enjoyed a newly forged creative friendship with electrifying guitarist Doug Aldrich. After initially saying he wasn't interested in new projects, after three years of touring, he felt the need for new music — not only for the fans, but also to reinvigorate himself. He found the perfect writing partner with Aldrich. Not only as a co-writer but, as a co-producer, too.

Coverdale said: "Doug and I got on so well, I suggested we sit down with our acoustic guitars & see what unfolded…I was thrilled how effortless it was to create new WHITESNAKE music with him…"

So, it was that in 2007, Coverdale, guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, keyboardist Timothy Drury, bassist Uriah Duffy and drummer Chris Frazier began recording tracks for WHITESNAKE's tenth studio album, "Good To Be Bad". Celebrated by both fans and critics, the record was named "Album Of The Year" at the 2008 Classic Rock Awards.

"Still Good To Be Bad" explores the creative process behind the record with 28 different mixes and alternate versions of album tracks, all but one of them previously unreleased. High points include "If You Want Me", backed by the Hook City Harlots and Horns and a version of "All For Love" that features a different guitar solo by Aldrich. The collection also includes "Evolutions", a disc of unreleased recordings that presents a guide through the genesis of each song, from initial ideas with rough vocal melodies, lyrics and riffs through to finished demos and full band production versions.

The Blu-ray delivers a variety of WHITESNAKE video footage, including live tracks from the band's 2008 European tour, acoustic performances from the era, and an interview by Eddie Trunk. New songs like "Best Years", "A Fool In Love" and "Can You Hear The Wind Blow" come to life in these incredible live performances. The Blu-ray also features promo videos for "Ready To Rock" and "Lay Down Your Love".

FIRSTBORNE, the band featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Adler and MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo, has released another new single, "Sinners". The

As was the case with "Bad Things" and "One Of A Kind", which were made available in September; "Dead Rats", which came out in October; and "Intercontinental Champions", which was released in November; "Sinners" was independently produced by the band — also featuring soft-shred pioneer Myrone (guitar) and rising-star vocalist Girish Pradhan — with mixing and mastering by longtime collaborator Gene "Machine" Freeman.

When "Bad Things" and "One Of A Kind" were released, Adler had this to say about the new singles and the trajectory of FIRSTBORNE: "We've made good use of the time. For the next year-plus we will be releasing a song a month, starting here and now with a one-two-punch.

"I'm thrilled to be in a creative partnership that can do just about anything. Feels like playing in 'God Mode' on Guitar / Band Hero. It's a passion project and it's fun for us to share. Dig in. Or don't. See you next month!"

Myrone added about the ethos of the group: "No Labels, No Management, NO GODS, NO MASTERS!!!!"

FIRSTBORNE's self-titled debut EP came out in 2020 and marked Adler's first dedicated band release since his departure from MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD.

"Firstborne" included five songs and two lyric videos. The EP represented several years of dedicated introspection and refined effort to the idea of a heavy and positive message.

As might be expected, Adler chose his bandmates in this endeavor meticulously.

Not too long ago, Adler shared the stage across the Middle East with LoMenzo in HAIL! Prior to that, LoMenzo and Adler orbited each other for years traveling together on tours crossing the globe. The connect was inevitable.

Adler and Myrone began collaborating in early 2019 after Myrone noticed Adler's e-mail address attached to a Bandcamp sales notification email. Adler had been a fan of Myrone's talent for years prior and as soon as they connected, it was game on.

A chance meeting in India, almost a second home to Chris after eight visits, was the spark needed to form the international group FIRSTBORNE and for Chris to return to the studio. Adler met and shared the stage with Pradhan during a six-week clinic tour of India in the fall of 2019. After the first show of the clinic tour, Adler immediately called Myrone, noting he'd "struck gold" in their search for a singer for the then-unnamed project.

Girish Pradhan is the glue that united FIRSTBORNE. Pradhan on vocals represents an almost unprecedented international collaboration.

Pradhan is an established and well-known recording and touring artist in India and resides in Bengaluru. His band GIRISH AND THE CHRONICLES made international headlines with their album "Rock The Highway" and music videos "Rock 'N Roll Is Here to Stay", "Identity Crisis" and "Rock The Highway".

Speaking on his experience creating with FIRSTBORNE, Myrone explained: "Every single part of this experience has been extremely surreal for me. Girish is one of the best metal vocalists on the planet, Chris is one of the most influential drummers of the last 25 years, and JLO can play anything from MEGADETH to John Fogerty to Motown and everything in between. I can't believe I get to share space on a .wav with them."

Myrone is a Los Angeles-based producer/guitarist who pioneered the "soft shred" genre. In the last few years, he has released several albums and two EPs of instrumental guitar music and racked up millions of Spotify streams. In addition to his own recordings, he has collaborated with Rivers Cuomo (WEEZER),SZA, Little Boots, Michael Christmas and Deaton Chris Anthony. More recently, Myrone was Guitar #1 in the L.A. production of "Rock Of Ages", the 29th-longest running show in Broadway history.

LoMenzo is a veteran touring/recording musician since his multi-platinum band WHITE LION in the 1980s. Lomenzo is one of the most in-demand rock bass players in the world. His list of credits includes WHITE LION, Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY/PRIDE & GLORY, MEGADETH, Jerry Cantrell, David Lee Roth, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, LYNCH MOB, FREHEY'S COMET and more. He officially rejoined MEGADETH as a touring member last year and became an official member in May 2022.

LoMenzo had this to say about his collaboration within FIRSTBORNE: "I first met Chris in 2006 on MEGADETH's 'Gigantour'. I was playing bass with MEGADETH at the time. Watching Chris on that tour, I recall being struck by the creativity, speed and power of his drumming with LAMB OF GOD. In contrast, I found him to be a gentle, thoughtful soul. Years later, I had the opportunity to finally play with Chris, performing in the Middle East with the all-star metal band HAIL! We had a great time. At this time, Chris mentioned he was looking forward to exploring making all kinds of music. I suggested he keep me in mind. Next thing I know I'm being introduced to Myrone through a demo that Chris forwarded to me. I was immediately drawn to the music. Myrone's guitar is uniquely untethered to any one style. He's a brilliant and capable amalgam of classic rock, new and classic metal. Girish on top of all this had me stunned! A soaring, powerful voice that while uniquely his own, conjures images of the greatest singers of metal, blues and classic rock. His voice is a powerful, emotive vehicle to inform through his heartfelt and socially conscious lyrics. To my ear, the combination of all this musical talent is wonderfully unique and perfectly familiar."

Adler added: "I've been incredibly fortunate in my creative endeavors. From the start, I sought out the best players I could find to work alongside. It's been an incredible journey that is clearly not over. Some things have changed. This may not be exactly what people expect from me right now, and I'm aware and embrace that. It's time for something new. I'm have a platform to present something important, true and collaborative. Creating FIRSTBORNE beckons cohesiveness as a mission statement. This is not about being mad all the time, egos or fabricating polarizing drama. 'This is right' is now my alarm clock. Girish, Myrone and James have the exact locker room mentality of 'kill 'em all! but let's make sure everyone is okay and having a kick-ass time' that I try and bring to everything I do. FIRSTBONE is the result of all of my experiences, both positive and negative, and I'm proud of what we are doing together."

Adler is a Grammy-winning American metal drummer from Richmond, Virginia. Chris founded LAMB OF GOD in 1994 and helped usher in what critics have dubbed the "New Wave Of American Heavy Metal." LAMB OF GOD's discography with Chris includes multiple gold records and platinum DVDs as well as five Grammy nominations.

Chris received a Grammy for playing drums on legendary thrash metal band MEGADETH's 2016 record "Dystopia". Chris also toured with MEGADETH in support of the record while juggling and occasionally combining tour dates with LAMB OF GOD.

Chris has collaborated and contributed to records with PROTEST THE HERO, TESTAMENT, THAIKKUDAM BRIDGE, Michael Angelo Batio and Ron Jarzombek.

In 2018, Chris created an artist management firm Kintsugi Management.

FIRSTBORNE is:

Vocals: Girish Pradhan
Guitar: Myrone
Bass: James LoMenzo
Drums: Chris Adler

Former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera spoke to Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about the 30th anniversary of SEPULTURA's landmark fifth album, "Chaos A.D." The 53-year-old Brazilian-born musician, who spent much of the last seven years celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise", respectively, on tour all over the world, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Those albums, to me, they're kind of like kids. I like to celebrate their birthdays. I almost feel like I need to buy a cake and have a real birthday party on the day that the thing came out.

"Nah, I think we celebrate through the music, 'cause we're doing all these cool tours of celebrating the music," he continued. "Of course I'm not saying we're gonna do a 'Chaos A.D.' one, but if it happens, it'll be really cool. This year is also 25 years of [the debut album from] SOULFLY, and those are two really close-to-my-heart records, both of them. 'Chaos A.D.' opens with [my son] Zyon's heartbeat. It's a very special record. It's almost like a defining moment in metal, one of those records that kind of broke the mold, how metal can be. Because before 'Chaos A.D.' everything was super fast and aggressive, and I think with 'Chaos A.D.' we showed there's another way to make aggressive music, that's a little bit slower and more groove oriented, with stuff like 'Territory' and 'Slave New World' and 'Refuse/Resist'.

"I'm super proud of those records — super proud," Max added. "Let's see what happens. I don't have [anything] concrete yet. Right now I'm just celebrating them like everybody else — just enjoy that they exist in my life, and very happy that I got to be part of making records like that."

SEPULTURA was founded in 1983 by the brothers Max and Igor Cavalera with Wagner Lamounier and Jairo Guedes Braga (known professionally as Jairo Guedz). Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. joined just a few short months later and in 1987, with the departure of Jairo and addition of guitarist Andreas Kisser, the solid lineup of SEPULTURA was final. The band quickly became an influential force in heavy metal music thanks to its dynamic studio recordings and intense live performances.

The band was in the midst of a creative and commercial peak in 1993 when it released "Chaos A.D." with Max on vocals and guitar, Andreas on guitar, Paulo on bass, and Igor on drums. The record sonically sees the band transcend from their thrashing death metal aesthetic into a more eclectic output, showcasing groove-oriented paces, incorporating moody riffs, industrial soundscapes and even introducing hardcore punk elements throughout the record. With protest songs like "Refuse/ Resist" and the Jello Biafra-penned "Biotech Is Godzilla" spouting conspiracy theories, the politically charged lyrics aided in "Chaos A.D." becoming a breakthrough album for the band worldwide.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's four-decade history, "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

Regarding "Chaos A.D."'s visual representation, Max previously described its conception thusly: "'Chaos A.D.' was commissioned through Michael Whelan [whom] we already used on two albums before — 'Beneath The Remains' and 'Arise' — but 'Beneath The Remains' and 'Arise' were already existing paintings, and 'Chaos A.D.' was a brand new painting that was commissioned by us to Michael Whelan to create based on the name of the album. We gave it to him, and he came up with the body bag with the money upside down and all the electronic stuff going through the body bag and I think it was really cool."

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford joined country legend Dolly Parton on stage last November at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony to perform her classic song "Jolene". Also appearing with them as part of a "super jam" performance were some of the other Rock Hall inductees, including Pat Benatar, Annie Lennox and DURAN DURAN's Simon Le Bon.

Speaking to the SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard host Mark Strigl about what it was like to briefly share the microphone with Dolly, Rob said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I did the gay hustle and [thought], 'I've gotta get close to Dolly.' [Laughs] I may have overstepped my mark, but I was just gushing; I was a fanboy. I was kind of cringey at the end.

"I still haven't seen it — I still haven't seen it — but people say it was great, and that's all that matters.

"To be so close to her and to feel the love that this lady has — she's just this walking beacon of love and happiness and joy that she spreads," Halford continued. "And the talent that she has; when you think about the thousands and thousands of songs that she's written. And her story… There's a great Netflix documentary called 'Here I Am', and I watched that the other night. And where she came from and how she persevered, and she went through a moment where she really didn't know if things were gonna be able to continue, just through the way that rock and roll works, and she did. She's the epitome of staying the course and believing in yourself and believing the people around you and getting through these difficulties and challenges and rising above them and becoming a success all over again. She was always a success, but in the way that she can kind of fade in and out of things in rock and roll. She stuck to it. And wow. She's roaring right now. She's got this new rock album coming out, which we're all thrilled to know about.

"So, yeah, for me to have that opportunity just to sing a couple of those famous lines from 'Jolene'… It was a lot of stuff, you know," Rob added. "When you think about her and you think about me and where we are in our lives and the generations that we're from and the people that we kind of represent, if that's the right way to use it. It was just really very, very special. So, that moment, and all the other things that were flying around the room made for probably what they're saying is one of the most memorable and remarkable Rock And Roll Hall Of Fames that have happened thus far."

Halford previously talked about his performance with Dolly last November in an interview with San Antonio Current. At the time he said: "I knew that there was going to be an opportunity a few weeks before the event. Again, it was just kind of floating around that she was going to do this song at the end of the show and bring all of her friends onstage with her. And I didn't realize that we were going to be so connected. I sang one chorus with Dolly Parton and the world's gone nuts. And I can appreciate that now. I didn't understand it at first. And now these days have gone by, and people are going, 'Where's the album with Dolly and The Metal God?'

"I'll tell you something about her: she's been here forever, a bit like Her Majesty the Queen, who left us recently. What I mean by that is when Dolly walks into the room, you feel this regal presence. She's just got this aura about her personality. She's a genuinely beautiful light of love and caring and philanthropy and humanity. It's all real, man. It's all very real. There are some people who are very different on and off stage. Well, no, not with Dolly. That's Dolly's thing. So, for me to have that opportunity, I was just blessed and honored and thrilled. I know her work because I've lived as long as Dolly, and I was aware of Dolly as a young person growing up and seeing her on British television. She'd come over and do these British variety shows. And here I am, this kid from a public housing estate in the West Midlands in England, and I'm standing next to Dolly fucking Parton, who is now a rock chick."

Back in February 2022, when PRIEST's third nomination for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was announced, Halford told Billboard that, "I must do a duet with Dolly Parton! … If Lionel [Richie] and PRIEST get in, I think we'll both be dancing on the ceiling together."

Halford had previously revealed he is a huge fan of Dolly, and had planned to take a photo with her at the ceremony.

"I'm going to force her to, even if she doesn't know who I am," he told Metal Crypt last June. "I'm going to see what table she is sitting at. I'm just going to run to the table and do the devil's horns thing. Tongue out, horns up, behind Dolly Parton's head. It's the only way to do it. I can't smile sweetly. I've got to stick my tongue out and my horns up."

Halford told Rolling Stone earlier last year that he had no issues with Dolly being inducted into the Rock Hall.

"If you look at everyone in the Hall, it makes perfect sense to have Dolly Parton in there," he said. "I think it's just this 'rock and roll' thing. Should it be called the Music Hall Of Fame? I don't know. It started out with rock and roll, and roll and roll is everything and anything. It's just a phraseology."

Rob also talked about the possibility of sharing the stage with Dolly at the end of the night, saying: "I was onstage last weekend with Larry The Cable Guy! [Laughs] It was at Alice Cooper's blast for his great institution the Solid Rock Foundation. If I could stand alongside my buddy Larry and sing 'roll, baby, roll' [from THE DOORS' 'Roadhouse Blues'], I can certainly stand next to Dolly Parton on my left and Lionel Richie on my right."

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Parton, DURAN DURAN, Richie, Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The JUDAS PRIEST members that got inducted include current members Halford, Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Binks and late drummer Dave Holland.

Earlier in the evening, Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and current guitarist Richie Faulkner for three-song medley consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

Ensnared in a fishing net and swishing a mermaid tail that matches her signature sea-blue hair, ARCH ENEMY vocalist Alissa White-Gluz is putting herself in the place of aquatic animals in a new PETA ad launching in time for Lent. It's a reminder that fish are not swimming potatoes — they're sensitive individuals who deserve to be left off people's plates all 40 days of Lent and beyond.

"The first thing that people are ready to … disregard as living animals are sea creatures," says White-Gluz in an exclusive video interview. "We're … invading a completely different environment and just destroying all the inhabitants in it ... That's something less talked about, but it should really be talked about, especially when you look at the statistics that say that our oceans will be dead 20 years from now."

Fish feel pain, share knowledge, have long memories, and have cultural traditions. Some woo potential partners by creating intricate works of art in the sand on the ocean floor, yet more fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. They're impaled, crushed, suffocated, or cut open and gutted — often while they're completely conscious. In addition, 38 million tons of other aquatic animals are unintentionally caught each year to satisfy consumers' demand for "seafood."

But White-Gluz points out that hope isn't lost if everyone goes vegan, as she did over 20 years ago. Each person who follows her lead can expect to save nearly 200 animals each year and, as she notes, help tackle the cruel egg and dairy industries. "By making that simple choice, we actually could reverse this damage," she says.

White-Gluz joins a long list of musicians — including her boyfriend Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (MISFITS),Cristina Scabbia (LACUNA COIL),Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION),Ozzy Osbourne, Davey Havok (AFI) and Iggy Pop — who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

PETA — whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat" — opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.

For more information, visit PETA.org.

Last year, during a question-and-answer session at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, White-Gluz was asked if it's difficult for her to maintain her lifestyle while she is on tour. She responded: "It super easy, actually, because I still party; I just don't intoxicate myself when I do it. But if other people wanna do that, that's their choice — it's up to them. Smoking, I'd like them to stay away 'cause I don't wanna breathe that in. But otherwise, it's really, really easy, actually. It's not even something that I think about. And actually, we have… In our tour bus, in our band and crew, I'm not the only sober one and I'm not the only vegan either, so I'm surrounded by a lot of different kinds of people and we all get along beautifully."

Two years earlier, White-Gluz explained why being vegan is definitely metal, telling the Mercy For Animals Facebook page: "So, I've been vegan for over 20 years now. I was vegan before I ever started in music. I've never eaten meat in my life. I grew up in a completely vegetarian household, so going vegan was just like the logical next step. And when I started doing music, there was nothing that I wanted to talk about more than animal rights. And so I was now using this heavy, passionate form of music to sort of convey a message that I wanted to. When I'm screaming in my band, I feel like I'm screaming for the voiceless. And I can't imagine being that loud if I had nothing to say.

"Being female, being vegan and also being straight edge in the metal world is just a combination of targets on my forehead that make it really easy for me to get singled out or pushed around," she continued. "But those are just things that are so much a part of who I am that I couldn't change them even if I wanted to. And I wouldn't — I wouldn't change for anyone.

"In my opinion, metal is all about rebellion — it's about carving your own path, thinking against what everyone's trying to make you think," Alissa added. "And veganism is the ultimate form of rebellion, because you are literally taking things that people have told you are normal that deep down inside you don't think are normal that you've been conditioned to accept about your day-to-day tasks, like eating or what you wear or what you choose to buy. Everyone says that that's normal, that you need to exploit other living beings for those things, but you don't. And so taking a stand against that is what veganism is. And that is really metal."

March 17, 2023 will see Redemption release their much-awaited, new album I Am The Storm on AFM Records. Following previously-shared singles, the blistering album title track as well as "Seven Minutes From Sunset", today, the Los Angeles-based outfit presents a brand new music video for the song "Remember The Dawn"!

Redemption belongs to one of the leading progressive metal bands in the heavy music world today. Formed in 2000 by guitarist / keyboardist / songwriter Nicolas van Dyk, the band features iconic vocalist Thomas England of Evergrey, the rhythm section of Chris Quirarte (drums) and bassist Sean Andrews, as well as Vikram Shankar on keys.

As the album title already promises, I Am The Storm is a gripping, stirring, overwhelming and dramatic, new record by the power prog metal act. Combining unapologetic melodies and hooks with technicality, complexity and thundering riffs, Redemption once again occupies a unique place with its powerful, heavy, intelligent and deeply emotional music.

Says band mastermind Nicolas van Dyk about the new single: "With out first two advance releases, we have emphasized the heavier side of Redemption and the economic melodic metal side of Redemption. We have a third side — longer form songs with roots in progressive rock as well as metal, delivered in a cinematic style. Remember the Dawn showcases this third side of Redemption, both musically and — thanks to Vikram’s video assembly — with the visuals of us performing the piece individually in-studio. The meaning of the song touches on a familiar theme with Redemption: live is full of challenges and rewards, of ugliness and beauty, of despair and hope."

I Am The Storm was produced by van Dyk, Vikram Shankar and sound engineer/guitarist Simone Mularoni (DGM), who – alongside Chris Poland (ex-Megadeth) and Henrik Danhage (Evergrey) – will be also featured as a guest musician on the album. The new Redemption record also contains two cover songs, 'Turn It On Again' by Genesis and 'Red Rain' by Peter Gabriel.

In a new interview with Ghost Cult, BIOHAZARD's Billy Graziadei discussed the perception that METALLICA's greed was at the core of the band's decision to launch legal action against Napster in 2000, claiming that the pioneering music file-sharing service was illegally allowing users to download METALLICA tracks without paying royalties to the group.

Speaking about BIOHAZARD's own approach to making and releasing music, Billy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was never about the money, and it still isn't about the money. But I remember when that whole shit [between METALLICA and Napster] happened. And I saw somebody wearing pretty recently a shirt that said 'Lars [Ulrich] was right'. When that shit went down with Napster, people got on him because he… [People were saying], 'You're selling tons of records. It's gonna help out the smaller bands and the up-and-coming bands', which had a validity to it.

"I remember spending four hours downloading a whole album on to my computer and then another four hours of trying to figure out how to put it on this little player," he continued. "I went down into a meeting in L.A. with my managers, Russell Simmons [Def Jam co-founder], Lyor Cohen [current Google and YouTube global head of music] [and] Scott Koenig… And I spent maybe eight hours trying to make this transfer. In the meeting, after we talked about BIOHAZARD, I asked him, I said, 'Lyor, what about this thing?' And he said, 'You mean those little players with the digitalized music?' I'm, like, 'Yeah.' [He said] 'Nobody cares about that. They wanna hold something. They like to hold their music.' And I'm, like, 'Yeah. You know what? I get it. The industry said the same thing about CDs, and they were wrong.'

"With the MP3s, my point was… This was, like, '93, maybe. I paid for my CD. I put the fucking BIOHAZARD record on my computer from this program, and then that program helped me put this on a player," Billy added. "So I bought one CD, and now I have two other copies. So there's three copies for one. I said, 'That doesn't work out for the music industry.' And his rebuttal was, 'Yeah, but people still wanna hold their music.' And it's true — vinyl's making a comeback. But if the music industry would have looked around the corner and saw the potential of damage that MP3s could have had, they could have bought out Napster and just paid them a fucking billion dollars and saved the music industry. Now you get a bunch of young bands, who I love finding these new bands, but they're trying to come up in an industry that's selling 90 percent less than it was 15 years ago."

METALLICA sued Napster after the band discovered that a leaked demo version of its song "I Disappear" was circulating on the pioneering music file-sharing service before it was released.

In May 2000, Ulrich famously delivered a literal truckload of paper to Napster Inc., listing hundreds of thousands of people who allegedly used the company's software to share unauthorized MP3s of METALLICA's songs.

METALLICA representatives compiled the more than 60,000-page list of 335,435 Napster user IDs over one weekend in response to Napster's promise to terminate the accounts of users who trade material without permission. Real names were not included in the list.

In later years, METALLICA embraced digital music: in December 2012, the band made all of its studio albums, as well as various live material, singles, remixes and collaborations, available on Spotify.

The reunited original lineup of BIOHAZARD — guitarist/vocalist Graziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel, drummer Danny Schuler and bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld — will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year with a number of appearances at multiple international festivals in the summer of 2023, as well as select appearances in America. In addition to touring, BIOHAZARD has a 35th-anniversary documentary in the works containing previously unreleased footage spanning four decades. They also plan on returning to the studio to record new material.

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, Michael Sweet of Christian rockers STRYPER spoke about the fact that his band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's really crazy. And especially considering the fact that we don't look a day over 40 years old. [Laughs] No, we're getting up there in age, man; there's no doubt about it. But I think music keeps us all young, and we try to take care of ourselves. We don't do anything in overabundance. We enjoy life, but we also wanna take care of ourselves so we're around for a little while longer and we can get more done."

Asked about the musical climate at the start of STRYPER's career, Sweet said: "It was a different world, the mainstream, but then you add to it the Christian side of things. We were really scary to the church. They're out there in their three-piece suits and their slicked-back hair, and here comes STRYPER in yellow-and-back painted-on spandex and makeup and lipstick, and they were, like, 'What in the hell is this?' And I don't think they knew how to take it. And I think because of that, we weren't always accepted. We had opposition from both sides, so we never really had a club to fit into. And we still don't, really. We march to our own beat and play to our own drum, and all that stuff. We're a very unusual band, for sure."

Asked if he thinks the members of STRYPER have become "more accepted now" for who they are, Michael said: "I don't know if necessarily we've been accepted for who we are any more than we were back then, but I do think that we're respected a little bit more for who we are. Because I think people realize we've been around for 40 years and we're still here doing it. A lot of bands aren't. And we've stayed true to our convictions and stuck to our guns, and I think people respect that. We haven't wavered from that. And we're still here doing it — making music, turning in records, turning out records, touring. It's not about just relying on the classics. We rely on the new music just as much as the classics. If you listen to our set, it's comprised of new music every bit as much as classic music. And not a lot of bands can say that either."

STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

In a 2018 interview with the Detroit Free Press, Michael said that STRYPER was never fully embraced by the heavy metal and hard rock communities, largely because of the band's Christian lyrics.

"We've never been accepted by either side," he said. "The secular side, the mainstream, they've never accepted us to this day. We're probably that band that everyone's going to go to whenever there's a time to mock. We'll be the band used for that in most cases. Now on the Christian side, we've never really had the full support of the Christian side because we don't fit into their little club. We're not wearing suits and ties and going to every church and preaching."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "Even The Devil Believes" and the band's latest effort, "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitars) and Perry Richardson (bass).

Vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger of Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD has revealed to Agoraphobic News that he and his bandmates are working on a 40th-anniversary album, apparently titled "Morgöth Tales", featuring re-recorded versions of songs from their first few albums. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was a really fun thing to do. It was like a time capsule, going back in time [to] revisit these old songs, especially one in particular, which was first song we ever recorded ['Condemned To The Gallows']; that was for 'Metal Massacre V' [1984] on Metal Blade Records back in the day, before our first album. And the funny thing about it was there was no lyric sheet in the compilation itself. It was us, including many other bands. And the way it was recorded, it was really hard to figure out the lyrics; I couldn't remember what I was singing. So we're looking everywhere on the Internet, if someone has it or whatever. And it was nowhere [to be] found. And then I said to myself, 'Maybe mom has it in the attic somewhere.' And then I called my sister: 'Can you check at mom's place? Maybe she put it somewhere.' And she went, and my mom classified — everything is in order with mom. And she was, like, 'Yeah, yeah, I have it. File number six.' And then she pulls out the only copy of the lyrics in the world of that song.' And we were, like, 'Yeah!' 'Cause [music for] the song was already recorded. And we were, like, 'Oh my God. What are we gonna do?'"

Circling back to the upcoming 40th-anniversary album, Snake said that it will contain a song "not [from] every album, but mostly the period from 'Rrröööaaarrr', 'Killing Technology', 'Dimension Hatröss', 'Nothingface'; we revisit one song from each [album]. And it's in a chronological [order]. So it's very fun. It was fun to do."

According to the singer, the LP, which "should be out around July", will contain "about 10 or 12 songs", including "Thrashing Rage" and "Killing Technology". He added: "It was really — like I said — like a time capsule, going back. And I'm trying to sing these songs like I used to. It was really fun to do," he repeated.

As previously reported, VOIVOD will return to the USA with a run of shows this spring. Featuring IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT as support, this trek will be part one of VOIVOD's "40 Years Of Morgöth Tales" tour.

Before "40 Years of Morgöth Tales" part one, VOIVOD will make select appearances across the U.K. and Netherlands in April; then, the group will return to Europe in May for a tour with TESTAMENT and EXODUS, with festivals to follow in the summer.

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD released a new EP, "Ultraman", last November via Century Media Records. The effort features a highly original tribute to the "Ultraman" TV series theme as well as previously unreleased bonus live cuts, available both as a 12-inch vinyl EP or as a digital EP.

VOIVOD's 15th studio album, "Synchro Anarchy", was released in February 2022 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2018's "The Wake" was produced by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio and features cover artwork created by drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away).

During an appearance on "The Jasta Show", guitarist Dino Cazares of industrial metal pioneers FEAR FACTORY discussed his decision to recruit Italy's Milo Silvestro as the replacement for the band's original singer Burton C. Bell. Speaking about the FEAR FACTORY vocalist search, Dino said: "A lot of females stepped up. And there was definitely some females in the top five that I almost chose. But it did take a long process for me to find somebody. I was touring with SOULFLY [as a session guitarist] around late 2021 up till recently. And in that process I was looking for singers, and I was very meticulous, because I know how important it is for FEAR FACTORY fans that I pick the right guy. And I believe, and I know that I got the right dude. So I'm very happy [about] that."

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

This Saturday (February 25),FEAR FACTORY will hit the road with headliner STATIC-X on the "Rise Of The Machine" North American tour. The 42-date trek will also feature DOPE as well as selected dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

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

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

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

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

Photo: Stephanie Cabral

In a brand new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall was asked if he ever sees a chance of the band playing with original singer Jack Russell again, even if it's just for one show. He responded: "I really can't envision [that happening] because of health reasons and stuff like that. And I haven't even talked to Jack or anything for, like, 13 years."

Kendall then asked Gaudiosi, "Have you seen him? Have you seen his show? Have you seen videos or anything?", apparently referencing YouTube clips of Russell's recent live performances. When Jeff responded in the affirmative, Mark said: "Oh, yeah? Okay. Well, I'll just leave it there."

Last December, Russell, who currently fronts a band called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, was asked T Stone of the radio show "Sonic Boom" on Real Rock 100.3 The Fox in Rapid City, South Dakota how he feels about the fact that there are now effectively two versions of GREAT WHITE touring and making new music. He responded: "It's weird, man. I mean, it doesn't bother me — except when Mark goes out there and starts talking shit about me. Every time he gives an interview, he goes out there and starts talking some kind of shit about me. It's, like, dude, it's been 12 years. Get over it.

"It is too bad," Russell added. "We were best friends, we were brothers for years. And now it's like the guy won't even pick up the phone and speak to me. It's horrible. It makes you feel really bad. And every time I pick up a paper or [I see] something on the Internet [where] Mark's [giving] an interview, he's always talking shit about me. It's, like, dude, talk about yourself. Talk about how great your album is or how great your band is. Leave me the fuck alone. I'm not bagging on you."

Asked by T Stone why he thinks it's that way for Kendall, Russell replied: "I don't know. Maybe he's just pissed off that I'm still doing it. I mean, the first article they did after I left the band was, 'Oh, he'll never pull it off.' And it's been, what? 12 years now?

"The way I look at it is you do what you do," he continued. "Have a good time. Be happy that you're able to do this. Be happy that you're lucky enough to be able to do this — especially when there's two versions of the band."

When T Stone noted that "it's gotta be especially tough" for GREAT WHITE "trying to do it without the actual voice of the band," Jack said: "That's the one thing, I think, that separates the cover bands from the original bands — is the voice. 'Cause that's the one thing that you need. You take Steven Tyler out of AEROSMITH, I don't care who you put in there, it ain't gonna be AEROSMITH… The only time I've ever seen it work was with Sammy Hagar — and just 'cause Sammy is a better singer [than David Lee Roth]. And they wrote some really great songs. But give me a fucking choice, I'd go see David Lee Roth [before] I would [see] Sammy. And I love Sammy; he's a great guy. Dave's a great guy too."

In June 2022, shortly after GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy, Kendall dismissed the idea of reuniting with Russell, telling Dr. Music in an interview: "[People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…"

In November, Russell also ruled out the possibility of him reuniting with his former bandmates, telling All Access Live! With Kevin Rankin: "As far as the fans are concerned, for the most part they've been really cool about [there being two versions of the band]. It is what it is. Of course most of them would rather see us back together. There are a few people that, for whatever reason, like a new guy better, which I don't understand. That'd be like me saying I like somebody better than Steven Tyler in AEROSMITH. Or, 'Get rid of that Robert Plant schmuck [in LED ZEPPELIN]. Let me hear somebody else.' I don't know. To each his own. Some things just defy explanation or logic. But for the most part, I think, people would like things, to see them back to where they were, which will never happen. Those days are gone, and anybody out there that's hoping and wishing and praying, it's not gonna happen; I'll tell you right now. Both camps agree [on that]."

Russell went on to say that he chooses to stay away from speaking disparagingly about his former bandmates. "I don't jump on the drama train," he said. "Unfortunately, there are still people that do, in my other band, that still choose to pass along negativity. And I'm not gonna say anything bad about anybody. It's, like, why? We were all huge friends for years. We accomplished one of the hugest things you can ever accomplish together — something that's almost impossible we pulled off. We were on five major labels, so we did it five times. Usually you lose one and you're blackballed. And we were on five different major labels. So there's something to say for that. I never was gonna let up until I was done."

Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

In 2018, Desbrow told ListenIowa that there was never any discussion about possibly bringing Jack back after Terry's exit from GREAT WHITE. "Not at all," he said. "We've already moved on from that. We've gone through a lot of stuff with that over the years, and the fact that he sued us in federal court for the name, and we spent a lot of time and money, you just don't return from that. People tell me that they've seen his latest shows, and it's just hard to look at because his health isn't as good as it could be. We've got a really grueling schedule, and it's hard enough for me, and I'm semi-healthy. [Laughs] I couldn't imagine someone in his condition doing what we're doing. We did shows with him toward the end, and he was in and out of a wheelchair and crutches, had to be carried up stairs, was falling asleep onstage. It just got old. It's a business, and we have families to support and mortgages to pay. You can't go to work messed up 24/7 and still be able to work there."

In October, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joined the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE in September at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RFK Media has released the first single from the new Live The Rock - Volume One compilation album, an all-star anthem celebrating musical diversity called "American Thunder".


The track features a vocal duet between label founder Ron Keel and Roy Cathey (The Fifth, Cold Sweat), drums by Mike Vanderhule (Y&T), bass by Rik Fox (Steeler), and lead guitars from Stacey David Blades (Crashing Wayward, L.A. Guns), Justin Womble (The Fifth), Jay Rusnak (IronHorse) and Dave Cothern (Ron Keel Band). Rhythm guitars were played by Ron Keel and Mike Dresch.


While the tune is straight-ahead guitar rock, the lyrics pay homage to metal, country, blues, Native American music, hip-hop, and icons from Elvis to Skynyrd.




“We were prepping for some shows together with The Fifth and I, and I was looking for a song that Roy Cathey and I could share lead vocals on,” Ron explains. “There aren’t a whole lot of cool hard rock male duets out there! My partner at RFK, Aaron Fischer, suggested 'American Thunder', a song I wrote 20 years ago and recorded with my band IronHorse, and it worked out perfectly. We did it onstage a couple times and it was clear we just had to cut a studio version.”


“American Thunder” is the lead track on the new compilation album from RFK, Live The Rock - Volume One, hitting the streets March 17 and featuring 15 tracks from new & established artists from around the world.

Arjen Lucassen’s Supersonic Revolution will release their debut album, Golden Age Of Music, on May 19 via Music Theories Recording/Mascot Label Group. They recently released a lyric video for the first single "SR Prelude" / "The Glamattack", and Lucassen has checked in with the following update:


"I just released a videoclip of my new band Supersonic Revolution about the rise of glam rock, including one of my favorite glam bands Sweet. So, you can imagine my joy when I just got this lovely comment from long-time Sweet guitar player Andy Scott:


'A fantastic track, musically, technically, reminds me of bands like Dream Theater crossed with Focus (Dutch, I guess). Arjen must already be a rock star in Holland surely.'"




Sweet is one of the bands namedropped in "The Glamattack". Check it out below.





You think you know Arjen Lucassen? Towering Dutch prog rock polymath? The man behind the super successful prog rock conceptualists Ayreon? Not to mention his prog metal of Star One and Guilt Machine? Enormous overarching concept albums about space and time, packed to the hilt with special guests that read like a who’s who of modern day progressive rock? Arjen Lucassen? Well, think again…


Supersonic Revolution, the band behind Golden Age Of Music, are simply five men: Arjen on bass, long-standing keyboard player Joost van den Broek, guitarist Timo Somers, drummer Koen Herfst and singer Jaycee. Five men rocking out and having one hell of a time doing it.


The whole project grew from a request to provide a track for a cover CD for the German music magazine Eclipsed. “They asked if I had any cover versions lying around,” he recalls. “I said, ‘No but I’ll happily record one for you.’ So, they gave me a list of bands and I saw a ZZ Top song ‘I Heard It On The X’ that I really like. I said I could record it for them, but then they told me it had to be ready in one week...”


“I was like ‘Oh my god!’. I contacted my favorite musicians in Holland via WhatsApp and literally within 30 minutes I had assembled five people. A band basically. From there the seed was sown in Lucassen’s mind. ‘I want to form a band. And I want to simply have fun!’.


“I’m a perfectionist as you know, so I’m always sending musicians their parts back and asking them to change stuff,” he acknowledges. “But this was all brilliant. We were having fun, calling and WhatsApping all the time, and within a week we had a complete product.” He continues, “Also I wanted to have an up-beat, positive project.”


“I was like, let’s form a band and let’s write songs in the style of the 70s, and have the lyrics be a celebration of all the memorable things from that time, because those were my formative years,” he enthuses. “But I didn’t want it to sound like the 70s because that’s already been done, and I can’t do it any better than ‘Stargazer’ or ‘Kashmir’.”


“The guys are all younger than me - around 30 - so they weren’t even alive yet in the 70s. So, it was a great way for me to make 70s music with lots of Hammond and blistering guitars, but to update it to this time.”


The end result is 11 tracks of high energy, progressively inclined heavy rock that swings with the kind of groove Deep Purple rocked with in the early to mid-1970s. “This album is not a typical prog album. It’s not YES or Genesis. But it’s not a metal album either. There’s a track called ‘Burn it Down’,” Lucassen notes, “it’s totally based on ‘Smoke On The Water’ but written from the perspective of the ‘stupid with a flare gun’ mentioned in the original lyrics.


The album also features covers of some legendary songs given the Arjen Lucassen treatment as bonus tracks: T-Rex’s "Children Of The Revolution", ZZ Top’s "Heard It On The X", Earth Wind & Fire’s "Fantasy" and Roger Glover’s "Love Is All".


That, ladies and gentlemen, is the real Arjen Lucassen. Job done. Having fun.


Available formats:


- Artbook
- Transparent Blue 2LP
- Pink Marble 2LP
- Purple Marble 2LP
- Yellow Marble 2LP
- CD
- Digital


Pre-order here.





Golden Age Of Music tracklisting:


"SR Prelude"
"The Glamattack"
"Golden Age Of Music"
"The Rise Of The Starman"
" Burn It Down"
"Odyssey"
"They Took Us By Storm"
"Golden Boy"
"Holy Holy Ground"
"Fight Of The Century"
"Came To Mock, Stayed To Rock"
"Children Of The Revolution" (Bonus Track)
"Heard It On The X" (Bonus Track)
"Fantasy" (Bonus Track)
"Love Is All" (Bonus Track)

Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen has checked in with the following update:


"Check it out, the deluxe box for Paragon is finally ready! A premium box, hardbook book, signed photo, totebag, pin, exclusive heavyweight vinyl and the digipak all in one - only 1000 will ever be made! I'm so proud of my team for creating this exclusive and high-quality product."







Jansen will release her debut solo album, Paragon, on March 24th. This album showcases Jansen's impressive vocal range and powerful voice on a diverse collection of pop-infused tracks and emotional ballads influenced by the sounds of her career. Paragon has something for everyone and is a must-listen for fans of Jansen.


Says Floor: "‘Look at me now, I’m already there!' To renew yourself and take leaps into the unknown makes you grow. To age is a gift not everyone gets. I am a fortunate woman who got to make an album I never knew I could make. One that even defines me, where I am on my path. I have reached my PARAGON! I am so proud of this work! And grateful for all the amazing people in this beautiful life that helped me get here!"


With its mix of influences and powerful vocal performances, Paragon is an album that will appeal to fans of pop music and metal alike. It's the perfect addition to any music collection, and a must-have for fans of Floor Jansen and Nightwish.


Paragon will be released digitally and physically on CD, vinyl, and a limited edition deluxe box set. The album will be available on all major streaming platforms and at music retailers worldwide. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here.





Tracklisting:


"My Paragon"
"Daydream"
"Invincible"
"Hope"
"Come Full Circle"
"Storm"
"Me Without You"
"The Calm"
"Armoured Wings"
"Fire"


"Me Without You" video:





"Storm" video:





"Fire" video:





"Invincible"





Following the release, Jansen will embark on a tour of The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in April and May of 2023. Fans can expect to hear more details and possibly some sneak previews of the album in the coming months.

Devin Townsend kicked off his Lightwork European Tour on February 21st in Oslo, Norway at Sentrum Scene. Fan-filmed video is available below. The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Lightworker" (live debut)
"Kingdom"
"Dimensions" (live debut)
"Why?"
"The Fluke" (live debut)
"Deadhead" (The Devin Townsend Band)
"Deep Peace"
"Heartbreaker" (live debut)
"Spirits Will Collide"
"Truth"
"Bad Devil"


Encore:
"Call Of The Void" (live debut)
"Love?" (Strapping Young Lad)
















Tour dates are available below:

In a new interview with Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio, GODSMACK vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna, who co-produced the band's upcoming eighth studio album, "Lighting Up The Sky", with Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock, was asked to explain what a producer does. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Sometimes I'm not even sure what a producer does anymore, or what they're supposed to do, but I'm pretty sure when you produce an album, if you're a producer working with a band and your job is to produce that album, part of it is that you help them with arrangements. If you feel like, 'Hmm, that chorus is a little bit too long. I think you should chop it in half and get to the point quicker', all the way down to sonically how the record sounds, engineering it, making a decision. Even if you're not the engineer turning the knobs — I don't know how to do that stuff. I've been doing this my whole life, and I still don't sit behind the desk. I can do it to a certain degree, 'cause I've just done it for so long, but I don't know the details of that experience, to get, 'Oh, I want the kick drum to sound like this' or 'I want the vocal to delay like that.' I let them do it, but I'm there to guide them, and I'm there to verbally tell them what I'm looking for and how I want the album to sonically sound. So there's really a couple of different hats a producer wears, and one is the arrangement of the music and the other one is the sound of the record."

Regarding his working relationship with Murdock and the decision to get Andrew involved on "Lighting Up The Sky", Sully said: "I've worked with Andrew long enough, and he was the guy that produced our first two albums. But he knows me, and I've always got my hands in everything. And nothing goes out with the GODSMACK stamp of approval without me stamping it off.

"I chose Andrew, because this whole concept, when it really became about, 'Oh my God. This might be the last [GODSMACK album] ever', and it became emotional, I wanted to bring in… I wanna end this where it began, with the people that helped us create this in the first place and sent us on our way for success. And that's Andrew Murdock — along with Dave Fortman; Dave mixed the album.

"So, as far as producing, co-producing… I produced this record. I brought Andrew in to co-produce with me because I wanted him to be a part of this journey. I wanted to end this where it began. I felt like it was the right thing to do. And I have an immense amount of respect for him as a producer and an engineer. So it made sense. Same thing with Dave Fortman. He produced our '1000hp' [2014] and 'The Oracle' album [2010]. Obviously, we couldn't have three producers, so I just brought him in because he's great with sonically making a record sound good. And I worked with him on mixing. Ted Jensen mastering the record, from Sterling Sound. He's done all of our albums. Even bringing back our original management company and a lot of our original crew members on tour. I want this to feel like the family is back together and as many originals are here with me as we conclude this chapter in our lives."

"Lighting Up The Sky" will be released on February 24 via BMG.

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

GODSMACK will embark on a spring 2023 tour with special guests I PREVAIL.

On March 24, blackened deathcore outfit Ov Sulfur will release their debut full-length, The Burden Ov Faith, via Century Media Records. For a preview of The Burden Ov Faith, the video for the new single, "Befouler" - directed/animated by Anastasia Solti with additional effects by Dylan Gould, and featuring Alex Terrible.


Vocalist Ricky Hoover comments: "Breaking away from our constant blasphemy, 'Befouler' focuses on real-life heretics who say one thing to your face but believe another. They use this false front as a pathetic defense to slowly plot your demise. This type of life became foreign to me in my years away from the music industry, but it seems the more you're in the public eye, the more you face dissenters and weaklings. I've made so many great friends through the industry, but this one is a middle finger to those who are too cowardly to even spit in your face because they only open their mouth while hiding theirs."


Guitarist/vocalist Chase Wilson adds: "This is easily our most energetic song. The technical riffing keeps you banging your head so hard you just might get lightheaded while singing along to the anthemic chorus - shout out to Ricky! By the time you get to the end, you've basically given yourself short-term memory loss and forgotten that Alex Terrible comes in to just bludgeon you to death on the final breakdown. For the video, we went with a tale of revenge that ties our early single and EP artworks to 'The Burden Ov Faith'. Rather than go with the typical animated video, we wanted it to be almost like a moving painting or storybook, complete with hyper-stylized art from the super talented Anastasia Solti. We had our friend Dylan Gould add some extra effects to really make it pulse with the music, and we're very excited to have a unique visual for one of our collective favorite songs from the album!"




Album formats (preorder here):


--Standard CD jewel-case
--Black LP
--Silver LP available from USA retail (limited to 500 copies)
--Transparent red LP available from CM Distro Wholesale EU and CMdistro.de (limited to 300 copies)
--Golden LP available from Ov Sulfur (limited to 300 copies)
--Digital album


Album artwork by MM Fabrications (design) and Blaqk Rabbit (photo):





Tracklisting:


"Stained In Rot"
"Befouler" (ft. Alex Terrible)
"Unraveling" (ft. Left to Suffer / Taylor Barber)
"Death Ov Circumstance"
"Earthen"
"A Path to Salvation?"
"I, Apostate"
"Wide Open" (ft. Light The Torch / Howard Jones)
"The Inglorious Archetype"
"The Burden Ov Faith" (ft. Bodysnatcher / Kyle Medina and Lindsay Schoolcraft)


"Befouler":





"Earthen":





(Photo – Blaqk Rabbit)


 

Japan power metal force Galneryus has issued a music video for “Let Us Shine”. The track is taken from their new album Between Dread And Valor, out March 1 via Warner Music Japan.





Between Dread And Valor will be available as a CD / DVD package with the DVD containing a concert: Live At Shinjuku Blaze, Tokyo from August 8, 2021 from the Find The Way To Overcome Tour.







Tracklisting:


“Demolish The Wickedness!”
“Run To The Edge”
“Time Will Tell”
“Let Us Shine”
“With Pride”
“Bravehearts”
“A Piece Of Souls”
“祈”


DVD:


“The Howling Darkness”
“Flames Of Rage”
“MC 1”
“Hold On”
“My Last Farewell”
“A Far-Off Distance”
“MC 2”
“Deep Affection”
Guitar Solo
“Everlasting”
“Bleeding Sanity”
“See The Light Of Freedom”
“Whatever It Takes (Raise Our Hands!)”


Encore
“MC 3”
“Rock You Like A Hurricane” (Scorpions cover)
“Fate Of The Sadness”
“Tear Off Your Chain”
“Braving Flag”
“Raise My Sword”
“MC 4”
“Destiny”
“Ray Of Light”


Lineup:


Syu – guitars
Yuhki – keyboards
Taka – bass
Masatoshi Ono – vocals
Lea – drums 

In a new interview with Barstool Backstage, drummer Jay Weinberg spoke about his typical pre-concert routine to prepare him for the high-energy intensity of a SLIPKNOT performance. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're more like an athletic team — we're more like a team than we are a band in a lot of ways. With the sheer number of people, and we all wear the same thing, and this and that, we kind of have a team mentality and a sports mentality about what we do. It is incredibly physical. So with that in mind, I have kind of a running checklist every day where I kind of live the exact same day every single day when we're on tour — if I'm in control of that. Sometimes we're flying on a show day, and that kind of sucks, and I'm not able to get into my flow state that I prefer. But I eat the same exact thing every day; I drink pretty much the same amount of water every day; I know exactly when I'm gonna have my pre-show meal; I know exactly when I'm gonna start getting into the jam room and start stretching and this and that. So that's all part of it. I'll run through a bunch of songs by myself. We'll run through maybe two, three, four songs together in the room. And then by the time we're done playing the third or fourth song or something, our tour manager is coming into the room. He's, like, 'You guys are onstage in five minutes.' And then it's like mad dash, and I'll be, like, 'Oh, fuck. I've gotta put on my mask.'"

He continued: "Sometimes that works out the best, because then you don't have any time to cool down and it's just, like, 'Oh, shit. I've gotta throw this on and run out there.' But the mask is the last turn of the key; that's the last thing that happens before we're all together. And we have our little band rituals that we do before every show that just brings us all to the… makes sure we're all on the same page and we're about to go out to do this thing that means a lot to us. We know it means a lot to everybody who's there, so we're gonna give it everything we've got. But we all have those individual things. I think the mask is all of our final key to that door that unlocks the stage for us. And I suppose it is kind of unique."

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father Max, of Bruce Springsteen's E STREET BAND, and leader of the house band on Conan O'Brien's talk show. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Jordison passed away "peacefully in his sleep" in July 2021 of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

Prior to joining SLIPKNOT, Weinberg was a member of AGAINST ME!, having played with the Florida-based act from November 2010 until December 2012.

Weinberg joined AGAINST ME! shortly after he was ousted from MADBALL and following the departure of AGAINST ME!'s previous sticksman, George Rebelo.

In May 2013, Weinberg filled in for KVELERTAK drummer Kjetil Gjermundrod during the band's North American tour because Gjermundrod had to bow out of the run after experiencing significant pain in his arm.

MERCYFUL FATE members King Diamond (vocals),Hank Shermann (guitar) and Mike Wead (guitar) spoke to Guitar World magazine about the band's upcoming studio album, which could arrive before the end of the year. Regarding the new MERCYFUL FATE song "The Jackal Of Salzburg", which the group performed live last June in Hannover, Germany, Wead said: "It's one of the more epic songs out of the new ones I've heard. It's kind of bombastic, with a slight touch of doom metal, which is a bit different for MERCY. But then again, MERCY was never a band that stood still, either."

On the topic of the timeline for the next MERCYFUL FATE album, Shermann said: "That's a really good question, because I really don't know, other than that I have at least eight or nine songs ready to be worked on. We already have three songs worked out, out of those, and the drums for 'The Jackal of Salzburg' are recorded. I would also say it probably depends on what the reaction is from [the fall 2022] U.S. tour."

Lyrically, "The Jackal Of Salzburg" is inspired by one of the last major witch hunts, the Zaubererjackl trials in Salzburg, Austria (1675-90). 139 people were executed as the followers of Wizard Jackl or Magician Jackl or Jäckel, who was himself never found.

"It's so grotesque, man," King told Guitar World about the source material. "There was a young man, 20 years old, whose mother was burned alive as a witch in 1675. Two years later they started hunting [the son] based on confessions the mom had made under torture, where she gave up her son as being in league with the devil.

"It's pretty shocking when you think about spearing a child on this horrible thing that goes up your backend and comes out through your mouth, or on a wheel that would pull them apart. Completely insane."

MERCYFUL FATE played the final show of its first North American headlining tour in over two decades on November 16, 2022 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia. Stepping in on bass for MERCYFUL FATE at these shows was Becky Baldwin, a British musician who has previously played with FURY, TRIAXIS and CONTROL THE STORM. She filled in for MERCYFUL FATE's regular bassist Joey Vera, who was unable to make the trek due to a scheduling conflict with his longtime band ARMORED SAINT.

In 2019, it was announced Vera would be replacing original MERCYFUL FATE bassist Timi Hansen for the band's summer 2020 European festival appearances due to Hansen's cancer diagnosis. Hansen passed away in November 2019 and MERCYFUL FATE's 2020 summer festival appearances were rescheduled for 2021, and then to 2022.

MERCYFUL FATE's North American tour, which featured support from by KREATOR and MIDNIGHT, followed the band's headlining performance at last year's edition of Psycho Las Vegas.

MERCYFUL FATE was formed in early 1981 in Copenhagen, Denmark by King and Hank. They were later joined by guitarist Michael Denner and bassist Timi Hansen, and soon thereafter drummer Kim Ruzz would join to complete the band lineup. The band recorded two demos in 1981 and later signed with Rave On Records in Holland for the recording of their successful self-titled EP, released in November of 1982. The "Mercyful Fate" EP was soon in heavy rotation around core metal radio stations, launching a new breed of heavy metal with their unique sound.

The band joined Roadrunner Records in 1983 and their debut full-length, "Melissa", was recorded and released that same year. The following year, MERCYFUL FATE returned to the studio to record their now legendary "Don't Break The Oath" full-length, released in September of 1984.

MERCYFUL FATE embarked upon a two-month U.S. tour in support of the record, which took them across the States several times sharing the stage with the likes of MOTÖRHEAD and EXCITER. The shows had created a brush fire within the metal community. The band reaped recognition globally, closing the year with a five-date tour in Germany with MOTÖRHEAD, GIRLSCHOOL, HELIX and TALON.

MERCYFUL FATE's first concert of 1985 was in their hometown of Copenhagen at an old movie theater with a large capacity. The show sold out and their stage show exhibited a new level of distinction. The night was a huge victory and a new highlight for the band. By April of 1985, however, MERCYFUL FATE decided to part ways for each to pursue new challenges. The KING DIAMOND band was born and reaped critical acclaim the following years with five studio albums on Roadrunner Records. KING DIAMOND has since signed with Metal Blade Records and is going stronger than ever before.

In the summer of 1992, MERCYFUL FATE decided to reunite and penned a new deal with Brian Slagel and his label, Metal Blade Records. "In The Shadows" was released in 1993 and was an instant triumph furthered by a sold-out U.S. tour.

MERCYFUL FATE has gone on to release another five studio albums and have toured Europe, the U.S. and South America multiple times. The highlight of 1999 was their critically acclaimed album "9" which was followed by a European tour with METALLICA, where King and Hank joined the band onstage several times for the medley "Mercyful Fate" which METALLICA had recorded on their "Garage Inc." double tribute album the year prior. Tours in the U.S. and in South America followed, marking the band's last live performances for over a decade. MERCYFUL FATE then went on hiatus, but made a brief appearance when members joined METALLICA onstage in 2011 for their 30th-anniversary show in San Francisco, California.