In a new interview with Canada's iHeartRadio, GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin spoke about the band's recent announcement that GODSMACK's upcoming eight album, "Lighting Up The Sky", will likely be its final collection of new material. Asked how he and his bandmates made the decision to no longer release new music, Shannon said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "25 years of putting records out… And we've never had a flop. And I'm 55, dude.

"We were playing in the U.K. [last October], and the band THE RAVEN AGE [opened] — it's Steve Harris from IRON MAIDEN; his son plays guitar for this band. And maybe third, fourth show, whatever, I'm, like, 'Hey, dude. How old are you, by the way?' He was, like, 'I'm 23.' And I was, like, 'My daughter is 23.' And I was, like, 'Wow.'

"I'm not saying we're old — I'm not gonna be that guy — but I'm saying it's kind of like sports, man," he explained. "When Michael Jordan was, like, he was gonna retire, everybody's, like, 'Yeah, he's old.' That dude was, like, 45. And I'm, like, 'That's old?'

"And I'm not saying it's all because we're old. We also feel like we've had great success — we haven't had a flop — and we don't wanna keep on going until we get a flop and then have to go out like that. So our thinking was go out on top. We had an additional two years to write a record, with this pandemic, so we threw out more songs than what made the record. And we feel — like everybody band says — but we feel like it's our best record yet.

"We're not saying we're gonna break up; we're not breaking up," Larkin clarified. "There's a thing called cycle touring. So you put a record out. That's a product. And we sell it, and we make money. But it's still a product that we have to sell, and if your product doesn't sell, then you let down a lot of people. And so there's pressure to be in a band like [ours].

"We're not gonna do some kind of cash grab: 'Last time, last tour. Come pay five hundred dollars [per ticket]' and then two years later we'll be back to charge you six hundred. No. We're not gonna break up. We're gonna just have the last cycle tour, which means this is the last product that we have to sell.

"It makes sense to us, because we only play an hour and a half to two hours, in there. And after every show, when we talk to our fans, they're, like, 'Why didn't you play this song?' 'Why didn't you play this song?' And we're, like, 'We only have so much time.' So over 25 years, we have too many, like, hits that our fans wanna hear us play already. And hopefully we're gonna get another two off this record ['Lighting Up The Sky']; one of [the singles] is doing well right now.

"So, my point is, why keep making records when you're in your mid-50s and risk not only getting too old or not selling and letting people down?" Shannon added. "And so we felt that we wanna a) go out on top, and b) remain a band and continue to play and tour Canada, tour the Americas, but on our terms. Now, after this record, in our mid-to-late 50s, where we live right now, we can play when we feel strong and we know we can represent our music and our band and still look good. But we're not gonna break up or something. We've been successful and we don't need to make more music when we can barely play our fans what they wanna hear now."

In a recent interview with Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna spoke about the fact that "Lighting Up The Sky", which will arrive on February 24 via BMG, will likely be the band's final collection of original material. He explained: "It's the most important record, I think, we've ever written and recorded.

"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.'"

Erna went on to clarify that GODSMACK does not intend to stop playing live shows anytime soon. "I wanna make sure people are clear about what we're saying here," he said. "I'm not saying that the band may be breaking up. What I'm saying is I think this may be the last body of work you get musically from the band. And it's because we're in this place in our lives right now where we've done a lot of work over the last three decades. Without sounding egotistical, which we're not trying to do, we're at 27 Top 10 singles, 11 Number Ones. We could literally 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. And we started thinking, when we were in that thought process, why are we in here grinding all the time and doing this new music when we wanna just also know that we've never stopped in the 25 years we've been touring. We'd like to be able to enjoy our lives, our family, our houses, the things that we've earned over the years that we've sacrificed. So I think the balance for that, the happy medium, is to be able to just go out there now and continue to do live shows and put the greatest-hits show together.

"I don't know what we're gonna do after this record," he explained. "And it doesn't make sense to continue to do music. It really feels complete in a good way, in a positive way. We feel like we've honored our career, our relationships with our fans, and we're always gonna be there for them; we're gonna do shows. But as far as to continue this, after this [album], unless we just decide one day, 'Yeah, one more for the road,' I think this could be it for us with new music."

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."

Sully said that the decision to stop releasing new albums was influenced by the fact that too many people these days don't care about new music from bands who have been around as long as GODSMACK.

"As a music lover and a fan of live shows and bands in general, that when you go see your favorite bands, there's a certain point in their career where you just go, 'I don't really give a shit about a new record anymore. I'm sorry, but I wanna hear 'Dream On' and 'Train Kept A Rollin'' and 'Same Old Song And Dance'. I don't wanna hear any of this new shit. I don't know it and I don't care. But these other songs have lived with me for two, three, four decades,'", he said. "And I just feel like we're getting to that place where… If we get out there and we don't play 'I Stand Alone' or 'Keep Away' or 'Voodoo' or whatever these songs have been for these people over the years, they ream us for it. So we know we're stuck with that. We're always gonna play the hits. But we have so many singles now that it's time, I think, to try to pull as many as we can off this record, add it to that list and then go out there and play the best of the best. And then maybe throw a few surprises every show, whether it's the drum battle or some fun cover."

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.

In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, STEEL PANTHER guitarist Russ "Satchel" Parrish spoke about the California glam metal jokesters' live performances, which see him and his bandmates imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "One thing about our band, I think, is even that when we aren't connecting, humor-wise… 'Cause we joke about everything; we fuck around all the time. That's what we do. And most of it is improv. And there's never a guarantee that you're gonna land a joke.

"When you're in front of an audience, you have to be fearless," Satchel explained. "If you talk to anybody who does stand-up comedy, I'm sure they'll tell you, you have to be unafraid. As soon as you become fearful of the crowd, they're gonna hate you. So when we're up there talking, there's all kinds of shit that we say that doesn't land with the crowd, but I think no matter who is in the audience and no matter where we are, when we are speaking freely and we're unafraid, the audience feels like, 'Oh, I'm connecting with these guys. They're talking directly to me. And they're talking about shit that I like too.' When you can connect with a crowd like that and bring them in and make them feel like, 'Hey, we're all in this together,' then they've got your back. And you literally can't fail at that point. You can say things that offend some people, but they're gonna give you a long leash, because they're, like, 'Well, that's my buddy. He says inappropriate things at times. It doesn't matter.' And they'll have your back till the end of the show. And for us, even though we might lose a small percentage of people, and they're gonna walk out and go, 'Ah, fuck that band. I'm never gonna see 'em again,' more often than not, we get people that go, 'I'm gonna come back for more. I'm gonna see 'em again.' And that's what it's all about — it's all about having a good time. That's why there's people that never thought that they would like us, that never listened to heavy metal, that become fans of the band. It's all about creating an atmosphere where everybody's having a good time and enjoying themselves."

STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", will be released on February 24.

The band's "On The Prowl" world tour 2023 will kick off later this month and will run throughout North America through April. CROBOT and TRAGEDY will be joining the band on the North American tour. The band will take a short break before bringing the party to the United Kingdom and Ireland in May.

In September, STEEL PANTHER announced the addition of Spyder as the band's new bassist.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fifteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

DOPE leader Edsel Dope, who is widely believed to be Xer0, the masked frontman of STATIC-X, was asked in a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about the decision to keep Xer0's identity "private" and not publicly name the person who has spent much of the last three years performing and touring alongside bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Really and truthfully, it's not so much about it being private as it is about respecting the brand of STATIC-X and retaining the respect when writing or discussing it. And a good example I can use for that is GHOST. Everybody knows that there's a dude called Tobias that's behind the paint, but when people write about GHOST, they don't call him Tobias; they respect the entity and they call him Papa whatever the fuck he is. And that's because they respect the creative, they respect the artistic integrity of it enough to honor that.

"With STATIC-X, we knew very early on that we were not going to have the overwhelming support of the media and the community," Edsel continued. "And in the world that we live in, most people's goal is not to be supportive; it's to try and tear things down. It's to try and be the one to uncover and let you know that there is no Santa Claus or whatever it is. So, for me, it was more about making sure that STATIC-X was properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of STATIC-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of STATIC-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of STATIC-X. There's one living, breathing singer of STATIC-X, and that's Wayne Static. And then there's a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow STATIC-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to STATIC-X and fits the branding of what STATIC-X is, and that's what the importance is. It's the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character."

Dope added: "You have to understand that if we didn't make that an absolute mission of ours that people would shit all over it and they would have done everything they could to discredit it. And if it wereEdsel Dope singing for STATIC-X, it would be, 'Oh, it's STATIC DOPE.' Or if it was Burton [C. Bell] from FEAR FACTORY, it would be, like, 'Oh, STATIC FACTORY.' It's, like, 'Go fuck yourself.' You can't give people the ability to control your narratives or else they're gonna control it in the worst fucking way possible, because, for whatever reason, that's the culture that we currently exist in. If it was 25 years ago, we wouldn't have any of this mess because we'd call the editor of fucking Rolling Stone magazine and go, 'Hey, dude, we're gonna let you in on what's happening,' and they would go, 'Oh, this is great,' and they would get behind it and they would properly help you tell your story to the world. But in the world that we currently live in, that's not the goal. The goal is, as I said, to be the naysayer and to be the one who lets you in on the fact that there is no Santa Claus and ruins the parade for everybody because they're just dicks."

When Erickson noted that social media has given everyone a voice, which in turn has turned out to be more of "negative than a positive", Dope concurred. "A hundred percent," he said. "And it's not just the people on the message boards. It's the people that deliver the news too. And it's really sad because heavy metal, whatever you wanna call it, we're absolutely the minority when it comes to the overarching pie of music listeners. There's no doubt that heavy metal music is a much smaller demographic than pop music or rap music or any of those things. So you would think that the news outlets that are popular for being the news-gathering outlets for this type of music, you would think that they would go more out of their way to paint artists in this genre in a more favorable light. But if you notice, half their goal is to rip everybody down, half their goal is to create drama for clicks or to put the worst picture that they can of Sebastian Bach up when they talk bad about him, or whatever it is; they just have these motives. Why would you do nothing but tear down the artists in the genre that's already struggling so hard to stay alive? Why wouldn't you paint those artists in a better light? Why wouldn't you be more supportive? Everything's a joke; everything's a dig. It doesn't mean that I have thin skin — I have thicker skin than fucking anybody — it just means that I don't understand the motive behind it except for that you're just a money-grubbing scumbag who wants clicks. Meanwhile you'll rip on everybody else's integrity, but what are you doing? You're not doing anything for the betterment of the cause. All you're doing is pitting people against each other and tearing a community down to a lower spot. It makes no sense to me."

Circling back to the original question, Edsel said: "So, unfortunately, we had to take this approach with STATIC-X and with the character of Xer0 to avoid people from spinning their own narratives and turning it into something that was different from what it actually was. I think we've accomplished that. And again, I say the same thing: Edsel Dope has absolutely no desire to be known as the singer of STATIC-X; it's not my gig. You wanna talk to me about the creative process? All day long I'll talk about producing the records, I'll talk about being their friend, I'll talk about managing the band and the strategy that goes into it and the infrastructure of starting their own label. Because STATIC-X is a band that up until 'Project Regeneration', every album that they ever released was on a major label — it was either on Warner Brothers or on Reprise. Whereas DOPE became an independent band very early in my career, so I was able to go and build an independent infrastructure and understand how all that works. But my friends in STATIC-X had no fucking clue; they don't know how to run a record label, [and] they don't know how to run their own business. So when I'm sitting in a room with them and going, 'Guys, if we're gonna do this, this is the most logical way to do it to remove the gatekeepers from in between you and your fans,' they had somebody to rely on that had that experience and had that infrastructure and wherewithal.

"So it's been super beneficial for all of us," Dope added. "And we were always friends, but now we're like the best of friends. And we owe each other a lot. I'm grateful for the opportunity because without those guys and the years of work they put into building STATIC-X, I wouldn't have a project to land all those efforts too. And for them, without my efforts to help them survive and exist in the modern day, they would have this band that is no longer around. For lack of a better word, we literally brought STATIC-X back from the dead. And it took all
of us to do it."

STATIC-X's eighth studio album, "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2", is scheduled for release on November 3. The LP is a collection of 13 brand-new songs that contain the final vocal performances and musical compositions of founding vocalist Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup featuring Campos, Fukuda and Jay. The new album was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.

All of the music associated with "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2" is the result of collaborations between the four founding members along with their new vocalist/guitarist/producer Xer0. No additional guests appear on the album and there were no outside contributions to the songwriting, musical compositions, or the performances on "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2". Between the two releases, STATIC-X fans around the globe have been treated to over two dozen brand new songs — most of which feature Static on lead vocals — and all released after his untimely passing.

STATIC-X — featuring the lineup of Campos, Fukuda, Jay and Xer0 — will hit the road in 2023, headlining the "Rise Of The Machine" tour with FEAR FACTORY alongside DOPE, MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID. The 42-date trek kicks off February 25 in San Francisco, California and wraps up April 15, in Los Angeles, California. Dates have been selling out across the country, with select markets upgrading to larger venues to meet the demand for the tour. STATIC-X also recently revealed plans for a tour of Australia and an appearance at the Blue Ridge Rock Fest this year.

Edsel is currently promoting DOPE's new album, "Blood Money Part Zer0", which will arrive on February 24.

With just over four weeks until the release of "Blood Money Part Zer0", New York City electro metalheads DOPE have shared another piece of new music from the upcoming seventh studio LP. "Dive" is the sixth track from the collection of twelve all-new songs scheduled for release on February 24. The track showcases the sound that catapulted DOPE to massive global appeal and garnered them a loyal legion of fans that continue to make DOPE one of the top streaming artists of the genre.

In a new interview with Tony Webster of Metal Command, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked about the fact that a lot of the classic thrash metal bands — particularly those from the San Francisco Bay Area — are putting out great new studio albums decades into their careers. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That is a really good point, and I've thought the same thing. Okay, so, like EXODUS 'Bonded By Blood', certainly that was their 'Kill 'Em All', it was their 'Killing Is My Business', it was them sort of grabbing the reins of that mountain. Because the truth of it is, look, METALLICA moving up to San Francisco to get Cliff Burton in the band. Obviously, once they put roots down there, that's when that thing really grew. But there first, before anybody, was EXODUS. They were really the kings of that. And as much as they were kind of in the background to the quick advancement of METALLICA, EXODUS is — I mean, that's the seed from which it all germinated in a lot of ways.

"I think EXODUS, TESTAMENT… TESTAMENT's made some of their better records in the last decade, I think. And I love 'Souls Of Black'. I love the early stuff; they're cool. I love listening to 'em. They're very ambient. Cool sounds. But, yeah, I think some of the more vicious and ferocious music from all those bands, I think they've all come recently… I saw, even in the 2000s… Look, LAMB OF GOD, for sure, was one of the big leaders. And look, part of it was because we no more had a PANTERA, and LAMB OF GOD kind of came in and took the throne. But they always pointed toward MEGADETH in particular, and, of course, METALLICA and the 'Big Four'.

"The '90s were not easy on thrash metal," Ellefson continued. "TESTAMENT [and some of the other bands], they didn't fall off the grid, but they went very underground as a way to survive. MEGADETH and METALLICA, because of our size, we were able to maintain a little bit better. But by the 2000s, man, it was the younger bands, like LAMB OF GOD in particular, those guys really helped reset thrash metal.

"Music is always driven by the younger generation; they are the ones who are always creating the new stuff. And in metal, what we always find is… Even the shredder generation, of which Mark Tremonti [CREED, ALTER BRIDGE] would be a good example. As famous as he is, and he was in a big kind of modern rock band, in his heart he's a frickin' shredder. 'So Far, So Good… So What!' is his favorite album. But these guys took what we were doing and then advanced it. So by the time their bands became popular, suddenly shredding was cool, because this new generation of guitar players loves these techniques that… They took the stuff from what we were doing and then they just advanced it and made it even more complex and jaw-dropping. And we need that, man — we need the next generation behind us to keep reinventing this stuff. 'Cause otherwise — we're not gonna go on forever; the train runs out of track and then it's over.

"I personally love when new people are coming up the ranks," David added. "We've got a great band out with us on this KINGS OF THRASH tour, HATRIOT, and they're the sons of Steve Souza, the singer of EXODUS. And they're a great band. And the first night I heard 'em, I went, 'Oh, shit, man. These kids are fucking bringing it, man.' 'Kids' — they're young men — but they're bringing the fury, man. And I love it, because it gets the fans excited for us, which forces us to keep our game up here, not get lazy and go, 'Well, we can just phone it in.' 'Cause you don't wanna do that. And the road takes its toll on you; the road is a challenge in itself. So I love that we've got a kick-ass package and a great band. That's one of the things we always did with MEGADETH — we always took out cool new opening bands. And sometimes they weren't metal — ALICE IN CHAINS, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, KORN. KORN was so bizarre that it's just, like, 'This is either gonna fall apart tomorrow or it's gonna change the world.' And it did the latter. And that's why great new music is usually very polarizing — people either love it or they hate it — and sometimes the stuff that's hated the most becomes some of the greatest stuff because the early adapters who go, 'Oh my God. I totally get this'… And it's usually a younger generation who understand it versus sometimes the old guard — yeah, we don't get it; we don't understand it. It's not the song of our generation, but we need people to continue to write the song for the next generation to keep it all going."

Ellefson is currently on the road with KINGS OF THRASH, which also features fellow former MEGADETH member, Jeff Young (guitar).

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

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

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

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

Onward guitarist Toby Knapp has shared a post recalling getting signed to Shrapnel Records, eventually moving on to form Darken and Onward.


The post reads:


"After my first album was released on Shrapnel Records, I was an ecstatic guy for a long time. When the time came for a follow up, things got a little rough. 1994 wasn't a good year for instrumental guitar music, especially from a new guy like me. Many of Shrapnel Records biggest artists whom had went on to major labels began returning home to Mike Varney's label,  to say I wasn't on the priority list is an understatement of epic proportions. What Shrapnel wanted from me was a fully functional band that was a hybrid of Pantera and Racer X. Although I had an amazing drummer, Travis Brumley, my ability to fuse these bands was poor. First, I disliked Pantera and second I'm not a pimple on Paul Gilbert's ass though he'll forever be a source of inspiration and awe. My songs were dull and uninspired attempts at 'tough guy' metal. At this point I was getting all my music from Wild Rags Records and Full Moon Productions. In 1995, I asked for my Shrapnel contract to be terminated so I could work with the small cult label, Wild Rags Records. 




Wild Rags released my instrumental EP "Infinite Opposition" and my mind and musical tastes went to Black Metal. Specifically the second wave from Scandinavia which needs no commentary. I loved Algaion, Abigor and Swordmaster because a current of melodic Traditional Heavy Metal ran through them.  Emperor, Dissection and Parnassus were similar to Neoclassical Heavy Metal to me. My music followed suit and creating within this genre came much more natural than the Pantera thing. My friend Necrotriton and I created Darken and quickly got a deal with Defiled Records. 


Defiled Records released Darken's self titled debut in 1998 and I began sending the label demo tapes of what I had in mind for a follow up. Label president, Nieraj Singh contacted me and said something like 'this could be great Traditional Heavy Metal, refine it and drop the Black Metal stuff, go pure Heavy Metal.' I had no problem with that suggestion and quickly composed eight songs and recruited a drummer and bassist. We got the songs down tight and Nieraj sent us into a Denver studio to record them, quickly and first take if possible. We loved what we were recording. It was pretty raw and reckless at times but had a great energy to it.


Sentinel Steel Records stepped in and financed the recording to completion and label owner, Denis Gulbey, suggested vocalist Michael Grant. Grant sent me demos of his vocals to the music and I asked him to do just a few things differently when recording the final takes.
 
This album, Onward Evermoving would be released on Sentinel Steel Records. 'After this I can get on with my life,' I thought. I was engaged and not interested in pursuing music other than for my own enjoyment. For me, the album was closure. I had done a Shrapnel album, a few indie label EP'S and this album. It was enough. I was washed up at 26 and this album was the bookend to my little adventure in the Heavy Metal business. 
 
I had the same feeling as I experienced when I 'gave up' on getting signed to Shrapnel Records. That total detachment to results and outcomes. Total surrender of that stupid dream of "making it". What I didn't realize is I was harnessing something very powerful when I thought like this. 
 
Something almost supernatural took it from here…"


See more at tobyknappmusic.com.

EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee joined BUSH on stage last night (Monday, February 20) at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee to perform the song "1000 Years". Video and photos of her appearance can be seen below.

Earlier today (Tuesday, February 21),BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale shared a few photos from last night's gig, and he included the following message: "well that was a blast.what a magical night.thankyou @amylee you elevated us to new galaxies.what a thrill. @officiallzzyhale @thejoestorm @officialnickraskulinecz always great to see you thanks for great energy and photos and love . so happy to see and hang with you xxx".

"1000 Years" is taken from BUSH's latest album, "The Art Of Survival", which was released last year. The LP encompasses the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of trial and tribulations as the band's own enduring place as rock outliers. Songs such as "Kiss Me I'm Dead" and "Gun Fight" represent the horrors that's going on in this country, while "Identity", "Shark Bite" and "Creatures of The Fire" capture the strength of people during these dark times. BUSH's euphoric rock revelation "Heavy Is The Ocean" encourages love and recognizes the bravery behind freely expressing your feelings.

Forging ahead once more, BUSH wrote and recorded what would become "The Art of Survival" during 2022, reteaming with Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, GODSMACK) who produced "Flowers On A Grave" and the title track for the group's previous album, "The Kingdom" (2020),and collaborating once again on two tracks with film composer, musician, and producer Tyler Bates ("300", "Guardian Of The Galaxy").

Last month, Rossdale told Alternative Press about what keeps him and his bandmates still so hungry to progress time and time again: "I guess we're just still in love with music enough to be inspired. I'm really lucky to have such an amazing band of fantastic musicians that can execute well and are super consistent. It's really unusual to have a band, management, and people that are still so hungry for the same thing to happen. There is also a reality there where we have a sort of humility where, yeah, things are great, but I always consider it a beautiful fistfight. I made [the 2017 album] 'Black And White Rainbows' at a really difficult time in my life, and after I picked up the pieces and made less-bruised music, I thought, 'Fuck it, let's just take it to people.'"

Regarding the heavier sound of "The Art of Survival" compared to earlier BUSH releases, Gavin said: "For me personally, it came from the ashes of the time around 'Black And White Rainbows' and my divorce. When you rise up after that terrible time, you gather yourself up and [push on]. When I would get up [in the morning], I would put my guitar in a drop tuning and just experiment. I noticed that I much more favor the detuned songs from all of the records to create set lists, especially for festivals. I wanted to do a whole record like that with super-heavy songs with nice melodies on top. I like progressive-sounding music with cool riffs like MASTADON — I love that sound. It feels good and feels vital to be doing that because if you're gonna work out, why not be an MMA fighter? It’s the music of MMA fighting. [Laughs]"



Bush performing “1000 years” with Amy Lee at the Ryman Auditorium on February 20, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.

🎥 • Lzzy Hale

#bush #amylee

Posted by EvanescenceWebsite - EvanescenceVille on Tuesday, February 21, 2023

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Nashville, what a night at The Ryman! Beyond thankful to have had our friend Amy Lee come out and sing with us. Amy, you are a legend!

Posted by Bush on Tuesday, February 21, 2023

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A post shared by LZZY HALE (@officiallzzyhale)

Mexican metal rockers Agora have announced the upcoming release of their latest single “Empire” via Golden Robot Records. This enticing and hard hitting track is the first for the band under the powerhouse label and comes in the wake of a tour announcement with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard.


"Empire" is a track intended to empower the listener with a sense of going forward. It is both epic and powerful - the vocal melodies embrace the guitar riffs, thunderous drums beat with pounding bass and hymn like keyboards, somehow finding the perfect balance throughout. 


Stream / download "Empire" here.







Through a period of continuous work, Agora have four albums under their belt, a live DVD and have also performed at well-known national and international festivals such as Vive Latino, Rock al Parque, Hell & Heaven and Fronterizo Fest.


After sharing the stage with bands like KISS, Judas Priest, Guns & Roses, Megadeath, Mötley Crüe, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, they’ve built a large and faithful audience and a large fanbase that follows them in their social networks and concerts.


In 2020, Agora decided to release their most important album to date, Imperio. Imperio is loaded with 11 tracks consisting of new textures, harmonies and instruments such as the eight - and seven - string guitars, fretless basses, drums with varying beats, tunings and frequencies, along with Eduardo Contreras’ voice that acts as a catalyst and the central axis.


All of this converges and results in new, powerful, fresh and innovative themes within the distinctive style that the band has achieved. Imperio includes 2 special tracks in collaboration with the talented, multi award-winning and renowned American keyboard player Derek Sherinian (Sons of Apollo, Black Country Communion, Dream Theatre, Billy Idol and Alice Cooper).


2023 is looking strong for the band as they prepare to release their next album with the support of Crusader Records/Golden Robot Records.

Unrelenting LA-based hard rock/metal act, Worldwide Panic have released their self-titled LP. 


In respect to the release of this record, the band had this to say: “The road to bring you this record has been challenging, long and rewarding. We believe this body of work accurately reflects the meaningful industrial hard rock that Worldwide Panic is all about, hence the album being self-titled. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it. Crank it up!”  


This record features nine original songs and a re-imagined rendition of the Tears For Fears smash hit "Everyone Wants to Rule the World". Regarding the experience of filming the video they add: "This video was filmed in multiple locations in the Phoenix area. It took us all a great deal of prep to make this happen. Also, this was my first time producing a video. I think we all let our hair down and had fun and we hope you all get that vibe when you see the video."







Order the album on Bandcamp.





Worldwide Panic is a hard rock/heavy metal band based in Los Angeles. The group was formed in 2016 with the aim of writing heavy music with catchy hooks and personal, meaningful lyrics. Giving a relatable take on everyday life, the songwriting approach focuses on a mix of clean and aggressive vocals and a guitar-driven sound.


At their shows, Worldwide Panic brings a unique theatrical experience packed with energy and excitement that can resonate with concertgoers and audiences all across the hard rock and heavy metal spectrum. The band has toured with the likes of Flaw, Smile Empty Soul, Hellzapoppin, Mushroomhead, and The Convalescence.


Worldwide Panic's eponymously titled new album was mastered by the esteemed Zeus (Chimaira, Hatebreed, Rob Zombie). The record's first single, "I Tried", charted at #26 on the Billboard 'Mainstream Rock Indicator' Chart, with the following single, "Falling Apart" peaking at #20 on the same chart. Now, fans can rock out to the LP 'Worldwide Panic' out now on all platforms. Look out for the band as they plan on plenty of live shows and touring to follow.

Formed in 2018 in the rusted Bible Belt city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Blind Oath creates epic-scale traditional metal that erupts with the kind of old-school energy that harkens back to power metal’s glory days. The band’s lyrical lore is expertly distilled into concentrated Sword & Sorcery tales channeling the hermetic, gnostic, and alchemical, historical accounts of witchery, and epic gothic poems of old. Blind Oath’s self-titled debut, recorded with producer -- and Night Demon guitarist -- Armand John Anthony, is set for a March 17 release via Tulsa non-profit Horton Records. Preorder at this location.


In advance of the record’s release comes the video for “Fascinatrix”.


Blind Oath was recorded at Captain’s Quarters studio in Ventura, California. Unbeknownst to the band, heavy metal legends Cirith Ungol were rehearsing next door to the studio, while the group was recording. Ungol frontman Tim Baker took interest in the blaring sessions and was swayed to record a vocal cameo (on the spot!) on the new Blind Oath song, “The Flame,” which is about the magick, strength, and beauty of heavy metal community. Baker’s surprise appearance, and the expert production of Anthony injected an extra dose of OOMPH to sessions, and the resulting record overflows with golden gallop, frenetic fret sorcery, and fist-pumping, adrenaline-triggering metal. Standout tracks like "Fascinatrix", "Spectral Attack", and the aforementioned “The Flame” reinforce the fact that Blind Oath plays music created BY fans of heavy metal FOR fans of heavy metal.




The band will showcase at the inaugural 2 Minutes to Tulsa Festival on April 1 at Cain's Ballroom where Blind Oath will share the stage with Exciter, Vicious Rumors, Satan, Haunt, Night Cobra, and more. The show will serve as the official 'Blind Oath' album release party.





Tracklisting:


“Invocation”
“Emerald Assault”
“Spectral Attack”
“Ride Of Eleanor”
“The Visitor”
“Blind Oath”
“Descent”
“Tombs Of The Blind Oath”
“Fascinatrix”
“The Flame” (feat. Tim Baker)
“Black School”


“Fascinatrix” video:





“The Flame” video:





(Photo – Phil Clarkin)

Mentalist and former Blind Guardian drummer Thomen Stauch has released an alternate drum playthrough video of BG’s “Ashes To Ashes” featured on 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond album. Stauch was in Blind Guardian from 1987-2005.





Thomen's previous drum cover videos are available below:

May 5, 2023 will see heavy speed metal giants Savage Grace return with a brand new studio album, entitled Sign Of The Cross, through Massacre Records.


On their forthcoming album, Savage Grace are not only introducing their new vocalist Gabriel Colon – who is described as a blend of the early Rob Halford and the young Ian Gillian – but creating and moving into a new dimension of metal while keeping true to their authentic roots. Guitarist Christian Logue assembled the most incredible musicians from across the world to create the most devastating version of Savage Grace yet.


 But get a sneak peak of their upcoming offering, as the band has just unleashed a music video for first single “Automoton”. According to Logue, "‘Automoton’ is inspired by Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and is very relevant to the events of the day."




40 years of metal experience went into crafting each of the new album songs into classics they will soon become. In addition, provocative, thought-inspiring lyrics and powerful topics weave their way through this mesmerizing collection of songs. 


Christian Logue comments: "This album is my masterpiece and a grand addition to my legacy of universally acclaimed classic metal recordings. Every song on this album is powerful, there is not one weak track on this record."


Sign Of The Cross was produced by Logue and was mixed and mastered by Roland Grapow at Grapow Studios. Slated for a release as CD, ltd. Vinyl LP and Digital formats on May 5, 2023 via Massacre Records, preorders are available at this location.





Tracklisting:


“Barbarians At The Gate”
“Automoton”
“Sign Of The Cross”
“Rendezvous”
“Stealin’ My Heart Away”
“Slave Of Desire”
“Land Beyond The Walls”
“Star Crossed Lovers”
“Branded”
“Helsinki Nights” (CD Bonus Track)


“Automaton” video:

Orange County's Bleed The Sky welcome new vocalist, Monte Barnard and release new single "The Parasite" featuring guest vocalist Mark Hunter from Chimaira.


The band teamed up with director Eric DiCarlo (@ericdicarlo41) at Square Up Studios to direct the video. He is known for his work with Chelsea Grin, Attila, and Lorna Shore. Additional cinematography was done by Karl Whinnery of Hot Karl Productions and Ben Schigel of Spider Studios.







“I’m beyond excited to join forces with the legendary institution that is Bleed the Sky. Their music impacted me as part of a movement that was integral to my musical coming of age and frankly, I'm still pinching myself. The opportunity to create and add to their legacy is one I don’t take lightly," says Monte Barnard.


Mark Hunter adds, "I am thrilled to lend my voice to the powerful sound of Bleed The Sky's 'The Parasite'. It's an honor to collaborate with such talented musicians and be a part of creating something truly unforgettable."


"'The Parasite' is about humanity’s growing addiction to distraction from the ever encroaching horrors that occupy just outside the periphery of our day to day existence. We constantly seek to ween and cope ourselves from the harsh truths we should be addressing head on. By remaining ignorant and distracted, we only tighten the seal on our inevitable doom," says the band.





Formed in 2003, Orange County based metal band Bleed The Sky are back with a new single as well as a new frontman. Following two well received albums released on Nuclear Blast Records, Paradigm in Entropy (2005) and Murder the Dance (2008), the band once again redefined who they are with the Art Is War Records release This Way Lies Madness (2020) and the single The Devil Will See You Now (2020). Bleed The Sky returns with the same intensity that is familiar to fans of their previous albums, as well as a new brutality that they are excited to share with the metal community.


Getting his start in Northern California's death metal scene, Monte Barnard joined Alterbeast in 2014 and continued his work touring and filling in on vocals with such bands as Thy Art Is Murder, The Kennedy Veil and Fallujah. He also fronts Emberthrone on Seek & Strike Records, as well as Lesser Animal.


(Photo – Erica Vincent @ericavincentphotos)

During a recent appearance on "Side Jams With Bryan Reesman", ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello talked about acting, comic book writing, road stories, and his funny home repair fails. When asked about crazy hotel stories, Bello recounted one time when he woke up in someone else's blood.

"This happened, God's honest truth," he said. "I've been doing it for 40 years, so you go from disgusting [hotel] rooms, like the cheap, cheap ones, to the higher-end ones. So in the early days, you're lucky you can get a bed, right? There's no money, all that stuff. So you get into the bed of that night after your club gig and you're hoping that it's clean. There are times in this life where you're so exhausted you just go right into bed. You just want to conk out. These nights are the nights you have to be careful. I get up in the morning, and you know the scene in 'The Godfather', the famous horse scene? There's no horse, but there was blood. And it was underneath, so if I just pulled the sheets and went underneath when I was tired, I didn't see anything. But that freaked me the hell out because — and I'll be honest with you, man — it wasn't old. Somebody must have checked out, whatever they did they did. Maybe they set the bed up so the maid thinks, 'I don't have to change it today, they didn't touch the bed.' But let me tell you, that bed was not made up. When you get up like that, that's not the way to start a morning. I was just screaming at the top of my lungs. 'What the fuuuuck!' At first, I thought it was me. Am I bleeding out? Where am I bleeding from? Then I go to the front of the desk... There's no front desk. There's a partition with a person behind the desk that doesn't want to be bothered with anybody. So I say, 'Look, there's blood in my bed! I'm letting you know, we're not paying for this room. I slept in blood last night!' It was disgusting. I don't know what happened. If it was a sexual thing, whatever the hell it was. It was on me, and that's disgusting. Period. The blood thing freaked me out because it was on my leg. 'Who is this? Am I sick now?' All this stuff goes through your head. 'Oh my God, am I gonna get some kind of disease from this blood?' Who needs that?"

Bello also looked back on acting gigs he's had, including the films "One Long Day" and "Best Man In The Dark", an episode of "Law & Order", and that famous "Married With Children" episode featuring ANTHRAX. He also revealed the biggest lesson he learned from acting. "Who I am," he said. "I'm pretty confident in my skin right now because of acting, and then later on songwriting. But acting got me to know who I am, where I can jump into other things and know that I have a foundation. It's weird to say that acting did that. I did a lot of studying because I loved finding out about me, about what makes me tick and all that stuff. It was more like therapy. Then I could jump into all these other things, and even in music, so I could jump into what I want to jump into musically. I don't know if it works for everybody, but it worked for me."

When asked about other things that made him happy outside of music, Bello replied that he just wants to pay it forward. "I think that's where I'm at in my life," he said. "It's a weird thing to say now because I always thought I was trying to work my career. But for me, it's really about passing it on to the future, because I want to see future musicians, I want to see future bass players that want to make a name for themselves, and create what I call beauty into the atmosphere. I think it's important now, so I'm very much into that and just helping people that want to learn bass or whatever they want to do [like] songwriting. I think that's really important. And I want to write great songs because I don't think we could ever have enough great songs in the world. So I look forward to collaborating with people. And that's where I'm at right now."

Last November, Bello released his debut solo EP, "Then I'm Gone". Issued as a deluxe gatefold split 12-inch via Rare Bird, the EP contains three songs alongside excerpts from his 2021 autobiography, read by the author and accompanied by additional new music. Bello performs all instruments (except drums) on "Then I'm Gone", "It Won't Be Long" and "See Me Now", as well as the score accompanying the narrated pieces, each selected and read from the book released with Rare Bird in 2021, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax".

A cornerstone of the legendary "Big Four" of metal alongside METALLICA, MEGADETH and SLAYER, ANTHRAX has sold over ten million albums, traveled the globe countless times, and collaborated with a diverse list of creative icons, including PUBLIC ENEMY, Keanu Reeves and the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons" details the tragedy and triumph of the music industry and Bello's intense personal life.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Bello started playing when he was 12, learning bass parts on guitar; idolizing bass heroes such as Geddy Lee, Steve Harris and Geezer Butler; and frequently jamming with his uncle, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. Bello joined ANTHRAX in time for 1985's "Spreading The Disease" album, and fans loved his high-energy stage presence and deftly inventive bass style. Since that time, ANTHRAX quickly reached the upper echelons of metal stardom with a series of classic punk/speed metal albums fueled by Bello's ferociously riffing bass work. On stage and off, Bello is a veritable bass ambassador who doesn't pull any musical punches.

ANTHRAX is working on material for its next studio album, tentatively due in late 2023. The follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" will be ANTHRAX's third full-length release since the 2010 return of singer Joey Belladonna, who came back into the fold for the "Big Four" shows with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, in the process helping inspire a new wave of creativity.

Below is Grammy Award-winning Kitt Wakeley's interpretation of Led Zeppelin's iconic "Stairway to Heaven", featuring guitarist Orianthi and the London Symphony Orchestra. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Stream or download the track here. 


This is the second single from Kitt Wakeley and the Symphony of Sinners & Saints Volume II: The Storm, which will be released April 17, 2023.


Kitt Wakeley: "I’m excited about building on the momentum of winning a Grammy by releasing an epic version of one of my favorite songs, featuring the amazingly talented Orianthi on guitar.”  




Orianthi "It was so fun to work with Kitt on this legendary track. The orchestra arrangement is beautiful. It’s always a little scary territory covering such a great tune as a guitar player and being such a huge fan of Jimmy page. I just went into EastWest Studios and did my thing. I hope people enjoy it!"


Symphony of Sinners & Saints Vol. II The Storm is led by the Billboard chart-topping Wakeley on keyboards and features a stellar lineup including guitar legend Joe Satriani, (Alice Cooper, Richie Sambora, RSO), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Nita Strauss (Demi Lovato, Alice Cooper), Kenny Aronoff (John Cougar, Joe Satriani), the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Voices choir (Paul McCartney, Luciano Pavarotti, the Hunger Games series), the Macedonian Symphony Orchestra, and the Macedonian Choir, plus the aforementioned Orianthi, London Symphony Orchestra, and London Voices.  

Fires In The Distance have just released their new single, "Wisdom Of The Falling Leaves", and its accompanying music video, which can be seen below. "Wisdom Of The Falling Leaves" is the second track to be taken from the Connecticut, US melodic death / doom metal group’s forthcoming sophomore album, Air Not Meant For Us, with the video directed by labelmates Jayson Cessna and Paul Fuzinski of Astralborne.


The band comments: "'For Wisdom Of The Falling Leaves' we were lucky enough to have Jayson Cessna and Paul Fuzinski of our labelmates Astralborne film and direct the whole thing, those guys are unbelievably talented, in music and in film so we really lucked out."


"The concept of the video is essentially a transition of the seasons, from the melancholy Autumn theme we started with on Echoes From Deep November to the bitter cold of Air Not Meant For Us. Lyrically, the song encompasses the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and acceptance of the inevitable."







On their second album, Fires In The Distance further expand on their musical foundations of wistful melodicism, crushingly heavy guitar work and intricate atmospherics. Across the six tracks that comprise Air Not Meant For Us, Fires In The Distance tie together intensely personal ruminations on mental health and themes of existentialism in the form of mortality salience, without losing sight of the importance of perseverance.


Teaming up with Salt Lake City producer Randy Slaugh, Fires In The Distance’s chief songwriter Yegor Savonin (composition, guitars, programming, lyrics) sought to reach even greater dynamics within the band’s core sound of melodic death and doom metal. With live orchestration in the form of violas, violins, cellos, as well as piano work, proving to be an incredibly fruitful collaborative process for both band and producer.


Air Not Meant For Us marks the first time the band have recorded with new drummer, Jordan Rippe, who delivers his own wide range of ornate work and feeling to the group’s established sound. Whilst drums for the album were recorded at the historic Power Station New England, the rest of the instruments were tracked at Studio Wormwood in North Carolina with returning producer, Dave Kaminsky, who handled recording and mixing in both studios. 


In addition to the collaboration with Randy Slaugh, the album also features a guest appearance from Burial In The Sky guitarist James Tomedi on instrumental track "Adrift, Beneath The Listless Waves," who’s deft fretwork adds an additional layer of dynamic sheen.


Kristian Grimaldi’s thunderous vocal delivery compliments the album’s composition strongly and projects the songs to a greater level of formidability. The record is rounded out by Craig Breitsprecher’s complex and serpentine bass work which weave throughout the LP with an imperative sense of cohesion.


Seeking to retain aesthetic continuity, Fires In The Distance once again reached out to Caelan Stokkermans for the album’s art and layout, which masterfully conveys the emotional core of Air Not Meant For Us. With a runtime of 51 minutes across six songs, Fires In The Distance’s sophomore effort is a melodic doom and death metal odyssey in both artistic vision and sound.





Tracklisting:


"Harbingers"
"Wisdom Of The Falling Leaves"
"Crumbling Pillars Of A Tranquil Mind"
"Adrift, Beneath The Listless Waves"
"Psalm Of The Merciless"
"Idiopathic Despair"


"Harbingers" lyric video:





(Photographer credit: Matty Thrash)


 

Steve Vai has revealed to Eonmusic that he's "sitting on a whole Ozzy Osbourne record", in a brand new interview with the Irish web site. Going into detail about the sound and content, the guitarist also disclosed a brace of tracks that were recorded with the BLACK SABBATH frontman. Vai made his comments while promoting the recently released VAI / GASH album.

Though the pair worked together in the mid-1990s, with former WHITESNAKE player Vai co-writing one track — "My Little Man" — on Ozzy's 1995 release "Ozzmosis", the full story behind the relationship has remained clouded in mystery.

With Osbourne announcing his retirement from touring earlier this year, Eonmusic's Eamon O'Neill took the opportunity to ask Steve what it was like to work with him. "Well, I'm sitting on a whole Ozzy record, and it's like the GASH record — not 'like' the Gash record, but it's a project that I recorded that's sitting on the shelf," he revealed. "I don't have any control over it or rights to it, obviously, but we did record some pretty good stuff".

Going on to talk about the sound of the album, Vai said that it was very unique sounding.

"The interesting thing about that stuff we recorded from a guitar perspective is all of my rhythm guitar parts, I use an octave divider [guitar effect], and that the record doesn't sound like anything else," he divulged.

When asked how close he came to joining Ozzy's band, the former David Lee Roth collaborator said: "So Ozzy and I, basically what happened as far as I recognized, Ozzy had recorded about half of his record ['Ozzmosis'] for the record company, and Sharon [Ozzy's wife and manager] and the label wanted to get him together with some different songwriters to just get some more songs", he said.

Stopping short of saying that he was a member of Ozzy's band, he continued: "I was one of the ones that they wanted to get together with. It was really just to write some songs for Ozzy's record that he would then take and go use for his record, and whoever he was working with on the record would record it. So I thought, 'Yeah, that'd be great. I'd love to do that.'"

A productive relationship, the sessions developed into more than the one or tow songs that the pair were supposed to work on.

"Ozzy and I got carried away because we were having a lot of fun, and we ended up recording a lot of stuff," laughed Vai, "and then we started scheming, 'Hey, let's make a new record.' And all that was fine and good, and we got excited about it until the hammer came down, and they basically said, 'What are you doing? No, you've just got to take a song from Vai and finish your record. We're already into it for this much money, and Vai is expense,' so it worked out perfect, really."

Vai went on to disclose a brace of tracks that would have made the album, as well as — presumably — "My Little Man", a VAI / GASH track, and a solo instrumental reimagined with lyrics were set to feature.

"One of the songs was [VAI / GASH's] 'Danger Zone'. I had already written it, and it was already done — it was a GASH track — and I thought, 'Well, maybe he'd like this', and I reworked it a bit, but it's on the shelf," Steve said.

One of the highlights of his solo 1996 release "Fire Garden" was also set to become an Ozzy Osbourne song.

"There's also a song called 'Dyin' Day' that's on my 'Fire Garden' album", said Steve. "That song originally had lyrics, and that was one".

Going on to double down on the unique sound of the record, Vai added; "There was some real, real heavy stuff because, as I mentioned, I used an octave divider on everything, and that's was a conscious effort."

Following in a long line of lauded players from Randy Rhoads to Jake E. Lee, even the world-renowned Vai found the task daunting. "I thought, 'Okay, you're going to work with Ozzy, and all these incredible guitar players have played with Ozzy. What are you going to do?' I was not going to be conventional," he confessed. "Yeah, that's not me as you know, but I had to be accessible, so I thought, 'I'm going to use an octave divider on everything."

Read the interview at Eonmusic.

Ozzy Osbourne photo credit: Ross Halfin

Ex-SEPULTURA frontman Max Cavalera says that he doesn't "need" a reunion of the group's classic lineup.

The Brazilian four-piece fell apart in 1996 with the exit of Max after the rest of the band split with the vocalist/guitarist's wife Gloria as their manager. Max's brother, drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera stuck around with the group for another ten years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

Max addressed the possibility of the classic SEPULTURA lineup reunion in a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm very, very busy right now with all the projects, 'cause I've got so many — SOULFLY being my main band, but also GO AHEAD AND DIE with my son Igor, and KILLER BE KILLED. And I'm already playing a lot of the old stuff with my brother; that, to me, right there, it fills the void anyway.

"So, yeah, I don't think about that at all," Max said in regard to a SEPULTURA reunion. "At this moment, I don't need to do anything like that. I think at this moment I'm so busy with the stuff that I have in front of me, and the fans love all the stuff that I've been doing anyway. There's no point, really. 'Cause I haven't even thought of that idea in a long time. But I think that my main thing right now is SOULFLY… And I love the fact that SOULFLY just keeps getting stronger and stronger with every record. And I look forward to the time to write the next one. It'll be another challenge and another chance to make something good again."

Last summer Igor told the "Mike Nelson Show" about the possibility of him and Max returning to SEPULTURA: "I have to be honest with you, man. The reunion, in my opinion, it's me and my brother — that's the person that I wanna be united with. So, for me, if the other stuff, it doesn't happen, I can't really be too bummed about it. Of course, it would be amazing, but the real reunion for me is just me and my brother being together. That's what makes me happy."

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's nearly four-decade history, Max-era albums "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.

Max was asked in a December 2021 interview with "General Population With Marco Lesher" what he thinks of his replacement in SEPULTURA, vocalist Derrick Green. "It doesn't bother me," he insisted. "It is what it is. At the end of the day, the fans know what the band was and what it is now, the difference [between the two]. And I really don't care. I'm not bitter. They do what they do; I do what I do. It's been like that for a long time now. But you can't touch the classics; those records that we did [in the 1980s and 1990s]. It still goes, but it is what it is.

"If you wanna really hear something that sounds close to what it was, you have to come see me and Igor play," he added. "That's the only thing that is gonna be close to what it was, to that time."

Igor and Max have spent much of the last seven years celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums on tour all over the world.

In 2020, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. said that he has had "zero" contact with Max, adding that a reunion with the band's original frontman would have to happen "naturally."

Back in 2017, Igor told The Salt Lake Tribune that he and Max "believe SEPULTURA doesn't really make sense nowadays, to do what they're doing." The drummer also downplayed the possibility of a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, saying: "Unless it's something really solid — and we haven't seen that from their part — of doing something totally professional and coming together, trying to do something like that. At the end of the day, it would be special for the fans, so it's not like a closed door, but at the same time, we have no time to spend energy with this kind of thing. So we just move forward."

Max echoed his brother's sentiments, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't even think about his former bandmates much. "For a time — for a long time — there was a war in the press, like, 'He'll talk this, I'll talk that,'" he explained. "I got really tired of it, honestly. I'm not gonna do that anymore. So let them go their way and do their thing, and we're gonna do our thing, and I think that's the best for everybody."

While stopping short of completely ruling out a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, Max said: "Right now, we don't even need it. It's been so much of that kind of bad vibes through the years that I don't even know how that would even really work out. I think what [Igor and I] are doing is the closest thing to that, and it works great, it works like a charm. It's amazing."

SEPULTURA's current lineup — Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Eloy Casagrande — released its latest studio album, "Quadra", in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records.

MEGADETH's cover version of JUDAS PRIEST's "Delivering The Goods", which was originally released last November to celebrate PRIEST's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, is now available on all streaming platforms.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine originally revealed that his band had covered "Delivering The Goods" last September when he was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. At the time, Dave picked JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton and stated about his choice: "I had no idea how much Glenn Tipton and JUDAS PRIEST had influenced my guitar playing until I recently covered 'Delivering The Goods' with my band MEGADETH and got to go over all those guitar riffs again. It was really revealing to me how much Glenn's playing had influenced me."

He continued: "Where did I first hear about JUDAS PRIEST? I can't remember exactly — I think it was my brother-in-law's little brother. But I did get my own copy of 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'. And I remember when I was living with my mom and we moved in with my middle sister — I have three older sisters — and she was married to a police officer that was the chief of police in a city called Stanton in California in the United States. And he walked into his house and heard PRIEST blaring in the bedroom I was sharing with their son. That was the first time I ever stood up for metal. And when he stomped out, you know what I did? I put the record back on."

Mustaine first spoke about MEGADETH's JUDAS PRIEST cover during an interview in August 2022 with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. Regarding how he and his bandmates approached the recording of the track, the MEGADETH leader said: "We went and listened to the song and charted out the performance. And going into that kind of micromanaging of the song, that minutiae production, we started to see a lot of things in the song where it seemed like there was no guide for the song. So we did everything the way that we do our recordings. And I believe it got a little more straightforward with the riffing and everything."

A few years ago, Mustaine picked JUDAS PRIEST's "Sad Wings Of Destiny" as one of the albums that changed his life. He said: "When it comes to classic heavy metal, JUDAS PRIEST's 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' is definitely one of the all-time great opuses. Hearing Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's unison guitar playing and hearing Rob Halford let rip … Who sings like that? Nobody. I was so entranced by that band and everything about them, that I went to a hat store and bought a Fedora because Glenn Tipton was wearing one on the back of 'Sad Wings…' I have curly hair so hats don't stay on so well. It didn't last very long. [Laughs]"

MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", was released in September via UMe.
We’ve recorded our own rendition of Judas Priest’s “Delivering the Goods” to celebrate their induction into the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Stream the track now wherever you listen to music. https://t.co/F2fCMNUrlOpic.twitter.com/1Zndf3vnWl

— Megadeth (@Megadeth) February 20, 2023

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi says that he doesn't personally believe in the use of backing tracks during live concerts but doesn't fault any artists who may rely on them.

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

Corabi addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Dude, I kind of feel like to each his own. Whatever everybody needs or anybody needs to enhance their show or make their show great — whatever. Personally, I don't use them. Me personally, I don't believe in 'em, but again, that's me. Somebody else may. I know when I was in MÖTLEY, we used to use some enhancements on the backing vocals and orchestra parts and things like that. But for the most part nowadays, it's just two guitars, bass, drums and a vocal, and just go. So, again, to each his own."

John previously discussed the use of backing tracks during live concerts in a 2016 interview with Rock Music Star. At the time, he said: "You know, there's a few artists out there that have done it, the fans know they've done it, the fans complain about the fact that they're doing it, but at the end of the day, the fans still show up to see them play.

"Honestly, when I was in MÖTLEY, as far as the playing was, Tommy [Lee, drums] was playing, Nikki [Sixx, bass] was playing, Mick [Mars, guitar] was playing, I was playing, and, to be honest with you, we did have some backing tracks for things like 'Misunderstood', for example. We had a 53-piece orchestra on the original track, and when we sat down and started rehearsing, everyone wanted the tracks while we were playing it live. And that's fine, that's cool. It kind of enhanced whatever we were doing on stage.

"Personally, it's the beauty of what I did on the '94 Live' [Editor's note: Corabi was referring to a live album and DVD of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 album, recorded in 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee] — is I sat down with the guys in my band, and we talked about doing the show, and we discussed possibly having some backing tracks. At the end of the day, I was, like, 'I don't want to do that. I just want to play the songs as a five-piece band, as it would have been without any of the backing tracks.' So, there's not a shit-ton of backing vocals, there's no orchestra parts, there's no backward guitar thing. It's just a five-piece band playing the songs in the most stripped-down, direct format possible.

"Personally, for me, I'd rather figure out a way to do the song, à la how [LED] ZEPPELIN used to do it, and how AEROSMITH… If you listen to AEROSMITH 'Live! Bootleg', when they do 'Dream On', there's not even a piano part in it. They figured it out, and they transposed it to guitars, and they do it that way. It's a bit odd for the listener, but, honestly, the beauty in it is the rawness in it. It's just a five-piece, stripped down band playing their great songs.

"To me, it doesn't bother me. To each his own.

"I've had MÖTLEY fans come up to me and talk to me about MÖTLEY. I've had other fans talk to me about all the backing vocals and the tapes. I just ask them, 'At the end of the day, did you have a good time?' That's it. 'If you had a good time, was it worth the money you paid? Did you get your money's worth?' If they say, 'Yes,' then whatever. If they say, 'No,' I've got nothing for them. Whatever."

The singer continued: "Listen, there's some nights, where I go on stage, and I'm like, 'Shit, I don't know if I'm going to be able to hit that note.' I change the melody a little bit. Bands have good nights, and they have bad nights. I'm not going to cover up anything or pretend. For me, personally, that's just my thought process.

"The fans that I meet over the last ten, twelve, fifteen years, or however long it's been since I've been out of MÖTLEY, I appreciate the fan support that I got from the MÖTLEY fans. It's just funny to me, they come to me and they're, like, 'Dude, I saw MÖTLEY, and Vince [Neil] sang every other word,' or, 'They were running all these tapes and backing vocals when there was nobody by the microphone.' They give me all of these things, and I have the same response every time. I sit there and I say, 'Are you going to go see their final tour?' And they're, like, 'Yup!' After they just got done complaining how the last five shows were…. Whatever their complaint was. I'm, like, 'First of all, if you're going to sit here and complain, then why are you going again? Why are you spending another $150 for a ticket if you didn't like the last five shows? What makes you think they're going to do anything different on the last tour than they did on the last four, five, or six? Why are you complaining? If you want to make a statement, don't go. Why are we even talking about this?'

"It's just crazy to me. I'm not talking about with you, right now. I'm just saying, a lot of these fans come up to me, and I just sit there sometimes and I go, 'Is this person baiting me right now? Trying to get me to say something?' I really have nothing to say.

"If you don't like what you've seen so far, don't complain to me about what they've done in the last five or ten years, or however long, and then go again. That's like enabling a drug dealer. That's like enabling anybody. If you take your girlfriend to a five-star restaurant, and she hikes up her dress and shits in the middle of the restaurant, and she continues to do it, and you continue to take her to fucking restaurants like that, then you're an idiot. [Laughs] Why are you talking to me about this?"

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars said in a 2014 interview that he didn't like the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live.

During an appearance on Eddie Trunk's show "Trunk Nation" on SiriusXM's Hair Nation, Mars was asked about the fact that he has a microphone in front of him on stage during MÖTLEY CRÜE's live shows even though, by his own admission, his "voice sucks so bad."

"That's a whole another story right there, son…." Mars laughed nervously, seemingly unsure how he should comment on the issue. "That could get me in a lot of trouble. I could say there's, like, a… Let me put it this way… I'll just say two words and you'll know: Britney Spears."

Pressed on whether this was somewhat of a controversial issue within the band, Mars said: "No, but I think that it is between a lot of fans, a lot of music people."

Asked how he personally feels about "supplementation on the live stage," Mick said: "I don't like it. I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

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

Just over two years since the release of their debut album, Beyond The Elysian Fields, Italian symphonic metal band Aqvilea presents "Activm", the first single from their upcoming album. The single was released through their label Saturnia Records, mixed, mastered, and produced at the legendary Fredman Studio in Gothenburg by Swedish melodic metal pioneer Fredrik Nordström (At The Gates, In Flames, Opeth). "Activm" is available on all digital streaming and HQ download platforms.


"Activm" is a powerful and eclectic piece that encompasses various emotions, ranging from symphonic metal to soundtrack to groove metal, evoking the eve of the exciting battle of Actium. The song develops through different atmospheres, touching on Cleopatra's love, Marco Antonio's rage, the epic ardor of the battle, and the drama of defeat. According to the founder of the band, Pier Lando Baldinelli, "In Beyond The Elysian Fields, there isn't a song with so much versatility in less than three minutes."


The single is accompanied by an iconic video created entirely in Virtual Production at the Base 2 Video Factory Studios in Gorizia and directed by Simone Vrech, a guest at the latest edition of the Venice Film Festival, who has also directed recent videos for Rhapsody Of Fire and Aqvilea's award-winning video, "A Day Before The Wolf".







Overall, "Activm" demonstrates Aqvilea's unique and versatile sound, marking a promising new chapter in the band's musical journey.





 

Ol' Time Moonshine have unleashed the spellbinding new video for "Hexslinger", taken from their latest album Magic. The quartet deliver a rockin’ & rollin‘, dynamic exploration of all that is heavy, hooky, and full of groove.


“The song ‘Hexslinger’ has been a favourite in Ol' Time Moonshine’s live set since its introduction, and was an obvious choice to be the second single and video from Magic. The lyrics are loosely based on the lore of A Book Of Tongues by author Gemma Files; the song weaves the fantastical tale of a magic-wielding priest and his outlaw gang battling an ancient goddess in the Wild West, played out over a rolling verse and crushing chorus. We hope you love ‘Hexslinger’ as much as we do!”







Ol' Time Moonshine is musically informed by '70s hard rock, '80s metal and punk, the heavy alternative and stoner scene of the '90s, drawing influence from the likes of Orange Goblin, Danzig and Black Sabbath. Lyrically the band are inspired by horror, sci-fi, history, science and the occult.


Magic artwork and tracklisting:





"Chrononaut"
"Dark Clouds Of Gloom"
"Hexslinger"
"Higher Learning"
"Please, Please "(featuring Angela Neatby of Muffler Crunch)
"Sweet Black Angel"
"Transmissions"
"Where Giants Rest" 


"Chrononaut" lyric video:





 

New Jersey-based Voidscape will release their debut EP, Odyssey Of Spite, at the end of March through Nefarious Industries, today releasing the record’s details including the cover art, pre-orders, and lead single, "Burden Of Breathing",


Formed in 2017, Voidscape delivers a strain of melodic death metal that is catchy yet scathing. Having previously released a demo and a single, guitarist Rob Torres, drummer Justin "Ninja" Spaeth (Tombs, Abacinate), and frontman Mike Ximenez (Replicant, Windfaerer) now present their debut EP, Odyssey Of Spite. Here, Voidscape administers bitter-sweet leads, monstrous riffs, and verses of human despair inflicted by viscous howls. Each composition is a melancholic journey rife with introspection and heaviness. The EP was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Rob Torres at his own Frightbox Recording in Passaic, and completed with artwork, photography, and layout by Mike Ximenez.


With the lead single, Ximenez writes, “‘Burden Of Breathing’ is about experiencing anxiety and being overwhelmed by existence. Your spirit is being hauled around by a mortal sack of cells with pain receptors and you’re hyper-focusing on the negative, unpleasant experiences. It’s about yearning for an escape when the pressures of life are getting you down. The world seems insane and sometimes it’s best to take time and disconnect from the zeitgeist. Don't forget to breathe. Keep driving that cell sack and see where it takes you.”







Odyssey Of Spite will be released on CD, CS, and digital formats on March 31st. Find pre-orders, links to streaming points and more at Nefarious Industries.





Tracklisting:


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


(Photo by Michael Ximenez)


 


 

Oceanlord have sealed their fate by singing a forbidding deal with Magnetic Eye Records. The tentacled Australian doom triumvirate will soon release their debut full-length via the eldritch label.


Oceanlord comment: "From the shadows, we herald the release of our debut album through Magnetic Eye Records,” writes guitarist and singer Peter Willmott on behalf of his fellow cultists. "Get ready for a voyage into the abyss of cosmic terror. The release is imminent, we ready ourselves for a journey beyond the veil of reality."


Jadd Shickler welcomes Oceanlord: "By the great old ones, doom is often brutal and annihilating, yet some is also dark and bleak as well as wistful, melancholic, crushing and somehow also strangely uplifting", the Magnetic Eye director writes. "Oceanlord are of that second type with their epic, haunting yarns that feel as old and inexorable as the sea. This label stakes its existence on pushing outward at the boundaries of our favorite sonic styles, and we're extremely eager for our endlessly dedicated and enthusiastic supporters to embark on this exciting voyage into the unfathomable depths that Oceanlord explore."




Lineup:
Peter Willmott – guitar, vocals
Jason Ker – bass
Jon May – drums

If you are a death metal fan, Graceless shouldn’t need an introduction. Three full-lengths and two split EPs have granted the Dutch ensemble a respectable reputation across the globe. Closer to home, the four piece has played countless live shows since their 2016 inception. 


The rock solid line up -unchanged since day one- has delivered ferocious, high energy live performances at Eindhoven Metal Meeting, Into the Grave, Party San Metal Open Air, Ruhrpott Metal Meeting, Stonehenge, SDF2021 and many more festivals and clubs.


Joining forces with Listenable Records in 2023 is the next thundering milestone for Graceless. Tirelessly working on their fourth full-length, the next chapter for Graceless will be another step deeper into the abyss that started with Shadowlands (2018), via Where Vultures Know Your Name (2020), to Chants from Purgatory (2022).




The band comments:


The forthcoming album will add yet another layer to what some reviewers have called ‘the Graceless sound’: guiding the listener through ever darker catacombs of doomed melancholia while proudly striking a blunt death metal hammer. We are ready to descend further down. Are you coming with us?"


Listenable Records will also reissue the band’s three first album in all formats.