Skinner, the solo band featuring "The Metal Chameleon" Norman Skinner have released a third single & lyric video for their song “Wicked Whys” from the upcoming album The Dark Design which is to be released spring 2023.





Norman Skinner comments:




“I had planned to release a few singles and videos off the album and this song was one of the top choices from the beginning. It’s a very straight-ahead rocking tune with a lot of great melody and a catchy chorus. The song itself is about discovering one is in a relationship with a very dishonest and manipulative person. However, when trying to exit the relationship the other person suddenly says the right words and shows the proper emotions but it’s truly all a façade. In the end it’s hard to comprehend why a person acts the way they do and I’m sure some listeners will be able to relate with this song.


Skinner has released the singles “How Many Ways I Can Die” and “In Silence” and plan to release at least 1 more before the full album is made available.


“Wicked Whys” features performances by:


Vocals: Norman Skinner
Guitars: Abel III
Bass: Jim Pegram
Drums: Noe Luna
Keyboards: Aaron Robitsch


Mixed & Mastered by Zack Ohren (Castle Ultimate Productions).





Previous single "How Many Ways I Can Die":





First single "In Silence":

THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass),Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — debuted two brand new songs, "Become Surrender" and "The Defiant One", during its just-completed three-date Swedish tour. Fan-filmed video of the performances in Gothenburg (February 17) and Malmö (February 18) can be seen below.

THE HALO EFFECT is planning to enter the studio later this year to record a new LP. The upcoming effort will be the follow-up to THE HALO EFFECT's debut album, "Days Of The Lost", which entered the official chart in Sweden last summer at position No. 1. This was believed to be the first time a debut LP from a metal act had ever topped the chart in Sweden in its first week of release. "Days Of The Lost" also landed at No. 6 in Germany.

"Days Of The Lost" came out on August 12, 2022 via Nuclear Blast.

Asked in a recent interview with Tomar Uma if THE HALO EFFECT is a "band" or just a "project", Mikael said: "It is definitely a new band. It started out as a project or an idea, but because of the time we had, I think we made it into a proper band and we wanna treat it as such because we want to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to make this as good as it possibly can be. We wanna do some tours; we wanna do cool festivals. And we're already starting to plan for more recordings and the next album and that kind of stuff. So everybody's just excited. And because it felt good and we were on a roll… You really can't hold Niclas and Jesper back once they get started. So they've already started writing new stuff. Let's keep up. It's gonna be a lot of work [laughs] the next couple of years, that's for sure."

Stanne was also asked if "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2002 and featured Jesper, Peter and Daniel, was an influence on the way THE HALO EFFECT approached the songwriting process. He responded: "I don't think so. I love that album — I think it's fantastic — but no, I don't think so. But, obviously, the other guys were a big part of it, so maybe that's something… They had that experience, so that will color and will somehow affect them. But I don't think it ever came up, so I don't think that was a particular influence. But, of course, everything is a part of what you do, right?!"

In June, Iwers was asked in an interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast if he would agree that "Days Of The Lost" is, in some ways, a "spiritual successor" to "Reroute To Remain". Peter said: "Ooh, interesting. I haven't really thought about it. When you make music, like we do, you tend not to overthink stuff — you just go in and you write music and kind of know that what comes out will sound a certain way because of the style that we are playing and how we are playing and performing our music. So I haven't really thought about it, but maybe — maybe. It was definitely nothing intentional. We just went in. We had a bunch of ideas and we came out with a bunch of songs that happen to sound a certain way. But none of us really overthought it and it was never meant to 'it's gonna sound like this' or 'it's gonna sound like that.' We just [went], 'Let's write this music and see what happens.' And because of, like I said, how we're playing, it will sound a certain way."

Added Daniel: "A lot of people like to analyze music, and, of course, it sounds Gothenburg metal-ish because we all are from that genre and we are some of the people that kind of created it. So, of course, it will sound Gothenburg metal-ish, IN FLAMES-ish. And then which era, I don't know. And as Peter said, we don't really think about how it should sound. This is how we sound today, and with our legacy this is inevitable, that we sound as we do."

Continued Peter: "Obviously, people like to do a lot of comparing between us… It's a difficult topic to discuss because none of us have — even though we've all been in IN FLAMES at some point, none of us have really thought about this as what you're saying. But then a lot of people that we speak to say it. So it's a little hard to take in, as we've been very thorough in just writing music. But I'd say it's a little flattering to hear it."

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Strömblad's THE HALO EFFECT bandmates have been supportive in his ongoing battle with the bottle, going so far as to hire THE HAUNTED's Patrik Jensen to fill in for him at any gigs he is unable to play.

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past four years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows and in the recording studio since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.
Halos! Swedish tour alert: Both the Stockholm and Gothenburg shows are now completely sold out, but there are still some tickets remaining for Malmö. https://t.co/NBAAjktiIG

Thrash metal pioneers EXHORDER have commenced the recording sessions for their new album at Fat Track Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio with engineer Rob Nadler. The follow-up to 2019's "Mourn The Southern Skies", which is tentatively due later this year via Nuclear Blast, will be the group's first with former CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Pat O'Brien, who made his live debut with EXHORDER at the 2022 Maryland Deathfest.

Earlier today (Saturday, February 18),EXHORDER frontman Kyle Thomas shared a photo of him having a drink at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and he wrote in part: "Round one of new EXHORDER album recording sessions officially wrapped up yesterday evening! Today I fly back home to New Orleans in the midst of Mardi Gras pandemonium.

"I lift this glass to my brothers in arms in EXHORDER for the most exciting and enjoyable sessions I've been a part of in decades. Preparedness and good company goes a long way! All we have left at this point is vocals, bass, and Pat's solos. We're over the moon with how things are going!

"Thanks to Robbie Nadler at Fast [sic] Track Studio for his amazing work and insight. It was very easy for us to self produce these sessions with him at the engineering helm.

"Thanks also to our label, Nuclear Blast, for facilitating things so we could get the sessions under way. We appreciate your enthusiasm around this project, and we will deliver!"

The Maryland Deathfest gig took place three months after guitarist Marzi Montazeri left EXHORDER, explaining at the time in a statement that he "decided to no longer be a part of it."

In a June 2022 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Thomas spoke about O'Brien's first appearance with EXHORDER and how the crowd reacted upon seeing the guitarist re-emerge on stage more than three years after his arrest for burglary and assaulting a police officer while his Florida home was in flames.

"He was as apprehensive about it as anybody," Kyle said. "Having not been onstage for a while, he wondered, 'Are these people going to want me around?' We were, like, 'Come on, Pat. You're Pat O'Brien. These people want to see you.' I can appreciate how he felt about it after all he had been through. I could imagine there was an intimidation factor about it. We got up there and he said, 'I think I'm going to lay low in the back, get up and play and be done.' As soon as we got onstage and people saw him, the place went nuts. I said to the crowd, 'Hey, look, you all know Pat, right? Show Pat some love.' And they went nuts. They adore this man. Who wouldn't? If you ever met him, he's one of the nicest people you'd ever meet. He's one of the greatest at what he does, too. Then he started taking pictures with people and talking [after the gig]. He had a big smile on his face. That was so worth it. Here was a guy who needed a good break in his life and we needed help from him to get the show done. It couldn't have been any more perfect."

O'Brien made headlines in December 2018 when he was arrested for burglary and assaulting a police officer while his Florida home was in flames. At the time of the arrest, deputies said he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

In March 2021, O'Brien was sentenced to time served and five years of probation and ordered to pay $23,793.45 in restitution. He was also ordered to get drug and alcohol evaluations and render 150 hours of community service. In addition, O'Brien was ordered to abstain from using alcohol and controlled substances and to be subject to random testing.

In early 2021, it was announced that O'Brien had been replaced in CANNIBAL CORPSE by Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL.

Shortly after the Houston-based Montazeri announced his departure from EXHORDER, the remaining members of the band — Thomas, bassist Jason VieBrooks and drummer Sasha Horn — said that they and Marzi had been "moving in different directions" and assured fans that they would "continue to thrive"

Thomas is now the sole remaining founding member of EXHORDER, which released its debut album, "Slaughter In The Vatican", way back in 1990. In February 2020, EXHORDER parted ways with its original guitarist Vinnie LaBella, who wrote much of the material on "Mourn The Southern Skies". The remaining members of the group later issued a statement saying that they would fulfill their "touring and recording obligations for 2020 and beyond."

In December 2021, Thomas confirmed to the "Brutally Delicious" podcast that he and his bandmates had spent much of the coronavirus downtime working on material for the follow-up to "Mourn The Southern Skies".

EXHORDER released two albums in the early 1990s through the Roadrunner label — the aforementioned "Slaughter In The Vatican" and 1992's "The Law" — before breaking up, with Kyle going on to form FLOODGATE and also briefly appearing live as the vocalist for TROUBLE, which he later joined on a full-time basis (and is still a member of).

EXHORDER, which is cited by many as the originator of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA, completed a U.S. headlining tour in late 2021 during which it performed "Slaughter In The Vatican" in its entirety.

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KISS frontman Paul Stanley has paid tribute to actress Raquel Welch who died Wednesday (February 15) after a brief illness. She was 82.

On Friday (February 17),Stanley took to his Twitter to share a classic photo of Welch, and he included the following message: "RIP. I was still living in NY & invited to join friends & Raquel for a rooftop get together. I immediately jumped into a cab. She was stunning… AND strong in her opinions. Years later I saw her take the lead in Victor/Victoria on Broadway. She was terrific & way more than looks."

Welch, the legendary bombshell actress of film, television and stage, "passed away peacefully after a brief illness," her rep said in a statement.

The actress burst into Hollywood in her initial roles in "One Million Years B.C." and "Fantastic Voyage". Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs. Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter, Tahnee Welch.

Her long resume also includes "Bedazzled", "Myra Breckinridge" and a turn on the sitcom "Seinfeld".

Welch won a Golden Globe in 1975 for best actress in a musical or comedy movie for "The Three Musketeers", which also starred Faye Dunaway and Charlton Heston.
RIP. I was still living in NY & invited to join friends & Raquel for a rooftop get together. I immediately jumped into a cab. She was stunning… AND strong in her opinions. Years later I saw her take the lead in Victor/Victoria on Broadway. She was terrific & way more than looks. pic.twitter.com/n9HznLOWKd

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) February 17, 2023

KINGS OF THRASH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar),was joined by early MEGADETH guitarist Greg Handevidt on stage Friday night (February 17) at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota to perform a cover of the METALLICA classic "Jump In The Fire". MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine co-wrote "Jump In The Fire" during his 11-month tenure as a member of METALLICA, before being fired in early 1983 and replaced by Kirk Hammett.

After the Minneapolis concert, David took to his social media to share a video of the "Jump In The Fire" performance (courtesy of Tim Wimer),and he included the following message: "Had a blast at Varsity Theater tonight in Minneapolis while KINGS OF THRASH broke out a 'No Life Til' Leather' demo deep dive with 'Jump In The Fire' from 1982, including the original arrangement and lyrics... My life-long friend & guitarist Greg Handevidt joined us as we used to play that song (and several others in the earliest inceptions from 'Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!' & 'So Far, So Good… So What!') when we moved to LA in 1983 and got the MEGA train underway..."

Added Jeff: "We had a blast tonight in Minneapolis doing a deep dive with the 'Jump In The Fire' version from the 'No Life Til' Leather' demo...joined on guitar tonight by Ellefson's long time friend Greg Handevidt."

In February 2016, Ellefson was asked by Cranked Up Live about Mustaine's comments to Real Rock 99.3 where the MEGADETH leader implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson said: "Now, look, when Dave came home from METALLICA, he had another bass player, kind of a kid he was almost teaching how to play bass, and another guitar player he had been working with a little bit, and a singer, named Lor. And those were kind of the first people that, I think, in April and May of 1983 that Dave was just kicking some ideas around [with], seeing if he could get anything going. But the day me and my friend Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave's door and asked him where to buy some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved forward, because me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a lot of the lyrics and the concept of 'Black Friday' on the 'Peace Sells' record, that was… we were the group that were rehearsing for a few weeks, working on these new songs Dave was writing. And one day we came back to… I think it was me and Greg's apartment… And it was Greg who suggested… We were talking about band names, and Greg suggested… There was a name kicking around, FALLEN ANGEL, that I think Dave… That was kind of working title that he had. But he had a song called 'Megadeth', which was later retitled to become 'Set The World Afire'. And it was my friend Greg who suggested, 'I think we should call the band MEGADETH.' And it was decided that day, so, I mean, technically, whoever was in the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, again, I don't know why there has to be so much importance on that. I know, I was there. And quickly, all those other members either scattered or were let go, and within a month or so, it was me and Dave standing next to each other — Dave and Dave of this new group called MEGADETH."

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days 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.

KINGS OF THRASH kicked off its "Thrashin' USA" 2023 tour Thursday night (February 16) at The Forge in Joliet, Illinois.

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, is performing "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety.

Atavistia is a wall of sound that joyously greets the ears and assails the senses. With sweeping instrumentals, grand orchestrations, and guitars heavier than Thor’s hammer, this Canadian epic metal band from Vancouver is preparing to unleash their next odyssey, Cosmic Warfare on April 21, 2023. Pre-orders are available here.

The band has just revealed the title track, along with a video, which can be seen below.  Atavistia comments on the new single: "Cosmic Warfare blasts from beginning to end as a Super Nova cleanses what we know. The amalgamation of chaos and anger brought forth during the pandemic was Cosmic Warfare’s inspiration. Such chaos and speed delivers an outlet for those who greatly suffered during these tumultuous times."





Fans of Wintersun, Ensiferum, and Dimmu Borgir will be enthralled by the elements of melodic death metal, black metal, and Scandinavian folk that is intricately woven together throughout their diverse soundscape.




Atavistia goes beyond merely crafting songs and takes you on a mental journey though vast sonic landscapes of snow covered forests, desolate tundras and barren permafrost laced landscapes. Beyond the frosty roots of their blackened inspiration, Cosmic Warfare aims for the stars and the vast emptiness of the macrocosm. Bear witness to the destruction of our planet and our cosmos and experience the nothingness of space.


Taking inspiration from the majestic natural landscapes of their homeland, earthly seasons, and ancient Norse culture, Atavistia’s grandiose sound matches these lyrical themes in an impressive symphony of destruction as they balance graceful melodies with brutal rhythmic cacophony.


On stage they are a force of nature, like waves crashing against a rocky shore, their music washes over audiences leaving them gasping for more. In a niche among metal genres, Atavistia has firmly established its presence.


Are you ready to lose yourself in the juxtaposition of lush and arid, the dichotomy of hope and despair, and welcome the inevitable and beautiful end?


Cosmic Warfare artwork and tracklisting:





"Omega Nova"    
"Cosmic Warfare"    
"Ethereal Wanderer" (Feat. Vincent Jones)    
"Spectral Rebirth"    
"Divine Destruction"    
"Forgotten Silence"


 

Today World Gone Cold, featuring members of P.O.D, Demon Hunter, Disciple, The Letter Black, and Attack Attack!, release their heavy, hook-laden track “Apology”.


According to vocalist Ryland Raus, the track boasts powerful riffs, inventive bass runs, masterful drum parts, blistering solos, and dynamic vocals while telling the story of an ever-evolving unhealthy relationship. The band proudly showcases this modern rock track as a pinnacle accomplishment on their upcoming self-titled EP, which is set to release on March 17 via Rockfest Records.


"'Apology' was one of the first things we wrote. It is a free fall of emotion and true grit. I feel like this song showcases the group's individual talents very clearly.” - Ryland Raus




Find the clip below.





World Gone Cold EP tracklisting:


"Left To Save"
"Opposites Attract"
"Burn"
"Attention"
"Again"
"Apology"
"Reality"


"Apology" lyric video:





"Opposites Attract" video:





World Gone Cold, comprised of members from legacy bands: Traa Daniels (P.O.D), Tim “Yogi” Watts (Demon Hunter), Andrew Stanton (Disciple), Mark Anthony (The Letter Black), and Ryland Raus (Attack Attack! & Inhale/Exhale), deliver massive hard rock anthems with a huge wall of guitars, fluid bass rumble, monstrous drums, and soaring vocals, exploding into a mixture of heavy groove and melodic hooks.


A combination of organic metal and radio-ready songwriting encompasses the foundation of a band that began as one man’s solo outlet and quickly transformed into an unprecedented supergroup. This new band arrives armed with songs akin to the timeless catchiness of Rob Zombie or Nine Inch Nails, with the postmodern urgency of Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, and I Prevail.

Sid Falck (ex-Overkill) has released a new song, "I Am", under his own name, Falck.





Says Falck: "'I Am' is a little different from what I have released prior. I’d probably label it industrial metal. While I always gravitate towards the heavier end of the spectrum, I really enjoy exploring different directions. To me, industrial metal is a genre that’s wide open, and so full of possibilities “




An accompanying video can be viewed below. "I Am" can be downloaded here for “set your own price”, making it a free download, should you so choose. Also available on all streaming and digital platforms.

Rolling Stone magazine has included METALLICA's controversial "St. Anger" LP on its newly released list of "50 Genuinely Horrible Albums By Brilliant Artists".

"St. Anger" was released in June 2003 at the end of a turbulent two-year period in which bassist Jason Newsted left the group, frontman James Hetfield went for a lengthy stay in rehab, and the entire band threatened to break apart. The album's raw, lo-fi production, lack of guitar solos and unorthodox sound were not well-received by many of the group's fans, who still often cite it as METALLICA's worst record. "St. Anger" has nevertheless sold more than six million copies worldwide, although fans have generally not warmed up to it in the 20 years since its release.

In explaining "St. Anger"'s placement on the list, Rolling Stone called the album "deeply disappointing" and described Lars Ulrich's snare drum as coming across "like he's banging on a tin can throughout the entire album". Writer Andy Greene went on to say that "the songs are unfocused and seemingly unfinished," and opined that Hetfield's "straight-from-rehab lyrics ('I want my anger to be healthy') could have used more thought." Rolling Stone also noted that the fact that METALLICA has "played fewer 'St. Anger' songs in concert than any of their other albums" is a clear indication that the band is aware of the LP's status as one of its most divisive efforts.

Ulrich admitted to The Pulse Of Radio a while back that METALLICA was surprised by the hostile reaction to "St. Anger" by many fans. "It threw us a little bit, sure, 'cause the whole thing was to just keep it as raw as possible," he said. "And I'd like to think that we accomplished that [laughs], to the point of obviously a little too raw for some people, and that's okay. I mean, it is what it is. I have not one regret about it. I'm proud of it, proud that we had the balls to see it through."

Speaking to Classic Rock magazine, Ulrich defended the drum sound on "St. Anger". He said: "That was on purpose. It wasn't like we put it out and somebody went, "Whoa! Whoops!" I view 'St. Anger' as an isolated experiment. I'm the biggest METALLICA fan, you've got to remember that. Once again, as we've been known to do, once in a while these boundaries have to be fucked with. We'd already done 'Ride The Lightning', which I believe is a fine record. It didn't need to be re-done."

He continued: "When we heard the record from beginning to end, I felt — and it was mostly me — that the experience was so pummeling, it became almost about hurting the listener, about challenging the listener, so we left the songs unedited. I can understand that people felt it was too long."

Back in 2015, "St. Anger" producer Bob Rock defended his work on the LP by saying that both LED ZEPPELIN legend Jimmy Page and former THE WHITE STRIPES frontman Jack White "took the time to say how much they like that album."

During an appearance on the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, Rock said that Page expressed his appreciation for the CD when the produced ran into the guitarist while they were both eating breakfast at hotel. "I know Jimmy," Bob said. "He got up and walked over to me, gave me a big hug, and said, 'It's great to see you,' blah blah, 'I love the 'St. Anger' album.'"

White's praise came at a screening of the documentary "It Might Get Loud", which co-starred Page. "I was at the premiere, and Jack White came over," Bob recalled. "He says, 'I'm Jack White.' I said, 'I know.' He says, 'That's my favorite METALLICA album.' So," laughed Rock, "I'm okay with those two."

Rock did acknowledge that "St. Anger" wasn't embraced by many METALLICA fans, who criticized it for its lack of guitar solos, extended riffs, its raw production and the thin drum sound.

"It's a very odd record," he conceded. "But it is… It's the truth. It's the raw truth about them at that time."

Rock also addressed the drum-sound controversy, explaining: "People comment about the sound, but when we went in, I said to them, 'I can't set up the drums exactly the same way. I can't do that.' It's like, why does metal music have to have this certain sound before it's metal? So I kicked the can a bit in that way."

He continued: "We could talk about this for a long time, but, really, the sound of the drums on that, I got the first set that [Lars Ulrich] ever used when they rehearsed in the house in Oakland, when they first got together. I set it up and Lars stared at it, right? For, like, months. And then one day he sat down and played, and it was ringing and it was raw, and he said, 'This is it.'"

Rock also discussed the lack of solos on the album. According to the producer, "Lars said, 'No guitar solos.' And [James Hetfield] and I are going, 'But … that's what [Kirk Hammett] does.' So every song, Kirk comes in and plays a solo, and if it doesn't make the song better, we're not using it — and we went through the whole album like that."

In a new interview with Total Guitar, Brian May was asked if there could ever be a new QUEEN album with singer Adam Lambert. The "American Idol" Season 8 runner-up has been collaborating with May and drummer Roger Taylor as lead vocalist for QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT since 2011,

"Well, we have been in the studio," Brian said. "We did knock a few ideas around in the middle of one of those [QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT] tours. But it just never quite reached the place where we felt it was going to be right. So we haven't pursued it so far. That's all I can tell you. So I really don't know. But I think there's a bit of a barrier there. I think if people see QUEEN on a record label, they still want it to be Freddie singing. It could be Jesus Christ on it, but they'd still want Freddie, and I don't blame people for that.

"There are people on Instagram who get annoyed with me: 'Why are you still carrying on without Freddie?' And I go, 'Don't tell me what to do. I do what I feel that I should be doing,'" the guitarist continued. "There are people who feel like we shouldn't even be going on stage without Freddie. But I think that would have been very sad, and it's not what Freddie would have wanted either. He would have wanted us to continue developing. And of course, because we are continuing and developing, it keeps that legacy alive.

"You know, I often have this conversation with Freddie's sister, Kash. She gets those questions as well: 'Why are they doing this without Freddie?' And she completely gets what we're doing. She says, 'This is what Freddie would have wanted. He would not want have wanted his songs or the band's songs to become museum pieces. He would have wanted them to live.' And that's what we're doing. We make the QUEEN legacy live. Absolutely.

"The last tour we did was fantastic," May added. "Probably the biggest arena tour we've ever done, and the most exciting in terms of all the shows being sold out and the energy in those audiences. The thing is, people want live music. They need live music. And we're happy to go on supplying it as long as we can. As long as I'm alive, I'll be there."

More than two years ago, May and Taylor revealed to Classic Rock magazine that they tried to record a new song with Lambert but they ultimately decided against releasing it.

"We did record a song which we haven't actually finished," Taylor said at the time. "I can't remember what it's called. I think we were still discussing what we should call it."

Added May: "It was a song that we'd tried to adapt that had come from a friend. It had the makings of being a great song, but we couldn't crack it. We couldn't get there."

The recording sessions for track reportedly took place in Nashville during a QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT U.S. tour.

Taylor went on to say that he wouldn't rule out a new QUEEN album with Lambert on vocals.

"It would be nice to do some stuff," he said. "I wouldn't rule it out. Adam has said, 'Any time you want me to sing on something…' If the other two decide, 'Let's do something', I'd be there."

Lambert, May and Taylor first shared the stage during "American Idol" in May 2009 for a performance of "We Are The Champions". They teamed up again in 2011 at the MTV European Music Awards in Belfast, Ireland for an electrifying eight-minute finale of "The Show Must Go On", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" and in the summer of 2012, Lambert performed a series of shows with QUEEN across Europe as well as dates in Russia, Ukraine and Poland. They have since completed a number of tours and performed at some of the biggest festivals in the world.

In May 2019, Lambert said that he wasn't convinced it was the right move for him to record new music with QUEEN. Speaking to Hunger, he said: "People always ask if we want to record together, and I'm not sure it makes total sense, because it wouldn't really be QUEEN, because, to me, QUEEN is Freddie. My favorite thing is collaborating and putting these concerts together and creating on stage — it's super fulfilling and exciting. To present these ideas to these two gentlemen — especially when they like the idea."

May previously described Lambert as the only singer the band had found capable of filling the shoes of iconic frontman Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991 of complications from to AIDS. "Adam is the first person we've encountered who can do all the QUEEN catalogue without blinking," said May. "He is a gift from God." Taylor echoed the guitarist's sentiments, adding: "[Adam's] incredibly musical, and we certainly take anything he says quite seriously."

Lambert, for his part, downplayed the Mercury comparisons, saying: "There's never going to be another, and I'm not replacing him. That's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to keep the memory alive, and remind people how amazing he was, without imitating him. I'm trying to share with the audience how much he inspired me."

In 2004, QUEEN recruited BAD COMPANY singer Paul Rodgers, with whom they completed two world tours and released an album, "The Cosmos Rocks", in 2008. They amicably parted ways a year later when Rodgers returned to BAD COMPANY. Since 2011, QUEEN has been fronted by Lambert.

TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French says that he doesn't begrudge bands who rely heavily on backing tracks during their concerts, saying that the practice will continue as long as "the fans will tolerate it".

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on 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.

French addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on singers use backing tracks for their lead vocals, Jay Jay said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As a manager, this is a more complicated answer. I can say, 'Oh, it sucks. Everyone should just do everything for real,' but there's a lot of money on the table and bands are under a lot of pressure to replicate records. And I guess at the end of the day, the real answer is, do the fans care or not? And if the fans don't care, and there's a lot of money on the table, the band's under a lot of pressure to replicate a record, then they get away with it and they do it. So it doesn't really matter what I say; it just is what it is, and they do it because they feel the pressure.

"Very rarely do you have artists who are so honest with themselves and they cannot do what they used to do that they just up and don't do it anymore," he continued. "[LED ZEPPELIN singer] Robert Plant is one of them. He said, 'Hey, I can't do ZEP songs. I can't even do it if you lower the key down two steps. I can't do it. I won't do it. I'm not gonna besmirch the reputation of this band, and I'm not gonna do it.' So he doesn't do it. When you see Robert Plant as a solo artist, he'll do some ZEP songs in a completely different key in a vocal range he can actually do it in.

"This mostly applies to singers, although in a band like THE ROLLING STONES, the only one in that band who's actually good these days is Mick Jagger. His vocals, actually, are as good as ever, if not better. The rest of the band [laughs] really need help. Keith [Richards] and Woody [Ron Wood] have arthritis and they can barely play. I understand that they use guitar players behind the scenes on nights where they really can't play.

"The point is, you're selling the tickets for two, three, four, five hundred dollars, what is your responsibility to the fans and do the fans care? Take a band like THE EAGLES. I don't think THE EAGLES use backing tracks, but they've got 55 guys onstage. So what do you expect with THE EAGLES? You expect to hear a band that is probably the most boring live band in the world because it's just like listening to a record. But that's what their fans want. They wanna be in a room, breathing the air with these guys, and they play all their greatest hits. If you had a great stereo, it would not [be] any different. Or get the DVD or stream a concert of theirs on a really good surround system, and that's what you get. You get it exactly how they want the record to sound. And that's what they do. So they don't have to have backing tracks because they have so many people onstage. But when you have a band with a classic lineup, people don't wanna see it polluted by different people onstage or think that there's people there. So they don't wanna know. Or maybe they don't care.

"So it's very much a matter of what you will tolerate," Jay Jay added. "If these bands believe the fans will tolerate it, then they get away with it and they do it. It's not for me to say whether they should or they shouldn't. You do what you feel you can do, and you get away with it if you feel you can get away with it, and more power to you. Again, the pressure is on. What do you do when you're charging a lot of money for a ticket and there's expectations as to the performance? And what are your expectations? Are you willing to forgo, you don't care if a singer sings flat or he can't sing in key? Does it matter to you? Are you gonna walk out going, 'It sucks', or do you go, 'Wow. He sounded really good'?

"We as a band, TWISTED SISTER performs live. We've never, in the 15 performing years, from 2003 to the time we retired, we never [used backing tracks]. Everything was right out there — all the guitar playing, bass playing, singing — everything was live. But I don't begrudge bands [who use tapes].

"We're not 20 years old anymore. Most of your heroes are now 70 or close to 80, and they can't do it. So if you're willing to pay, and you don't care, and if you're willing to forgo a certain amount of that emotion because you wanna have it like the record, then they'll do it and you'll pay, and that'll be the end of it. And so be it."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's used of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "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."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with 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. "I don't like it," he said. "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."

KISS lead singer Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

Earlier this month, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

Legendary singer Joe Lynn Turner has blasted bands who rely on backing tracks for their lead vocals during their concerts, saying they are cheating themselves and cheating the audience.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on 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.

Turner addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on "singers who lip sync", the 71-year-old former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE frontman said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've never synced any vocals up live on stage for myself, no. Never. I've had some backing tracks, like 'Heaven Tonight' with [Yngwie] Malmsteen — things like that. I've never used any instrumental backing tracks, although, who knows? I might just use some keyboards or some extra instrumentation at some point, but I haven't yet.

"How do I feel about it? I don't think a lead vocalist should really use sync tracks," he continued. "I mean, this is why it's a lead vocalist. I understand in this era a lot of people are doing it. But I think personally and ethically you're cheating yourself and you're cheating the audience by doing that. I'd rather have a bad night than use faked vocals.

"Now, I understand also that more and more people don't really care as much, which I think is a shame, because it's killing the art," Turner added. "However, I think in certain situations, yeah, it's okay, it's needed, or at least justifiable.

"I say sing, man. Good or bad. Live is live, and that's the way it oughta be."

Last November, Turner told Andrew Daly of Metal Castle that the use of backing tracks in the live setting has "become too much. I understand some groups need to rely on these computers, but I'm old school, and I think live music should be live," he explained. "That's what people pay for. If you are well-known and you're going out there and using backing tracks, you're not being honest; it's pantomime. It's not even karaoke. I feel it's cheating people, and it's cheating yourself. Because if you can't cut it live, well, that's what separates the men from the boys. That's what separates who's great and who's average. Anyone can cover it up in the studio, but it all comes out live, and if you can't hack it, then get off the stage.

"I understand there's a technology that certain bands use today, but if you're KISS, for example, maybe you ought to quit while you're ahead, guys. Don't you think you've got enough money to where you don't need to take all the static for doing what you're doing? All it's doing is destroying your legacy, and you'd probably be better off if you just stopped. I'm not trying to point them out individually, but they've been known to use it.

"And look, I understand how difficult it is, especially for singers, because you can only go so many nights in a row. So, if you want to be out there still, maybe cut back the nights, and maybe you can't make as much money. I think we have to look at the driving force here and then try and understand the motivation for why they do it. If you're only doing it for money, so you can have five nights instead of three, that's not a good enough reason for me. Go play for three nights and be yourself. Or stop doing it altogether."

Last October, Sebastian Bach and Ronnie Radke engaged in a war of words on Twitter over FALLING IN REVERSE's decision to cancel a festival appearance due to "missing" laptops.

Just hours before FALLING IN REVERSE was supposed to appear at the WIIL Rock festival on September 24 at Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois, the singer and his bandmates scrapped their performance because their laptops — which the musicians use to "run" their "show" — were lost. At the time, Radke said in a video message that he and his bandmates had "no other option" because "as a band in 2022, you need your laptops. It's like driving a car without an engine."

One person who seemingly defended Radke and FALLING IN REVERSE is MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx. The bassist wrote: "Keep beating that fake bullshit drum. Sounds so 'Get Off My Lawn'. God forbid if some artists use technology as a creative tool on albums and in live settings. I get it. Just open your mind and stop fighting reality. Makes you sound outta touch and I like that you fly the rock flag."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Bach previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

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."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with 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. "I don't like it," he said. "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."

KISS lead singer Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

In a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider was asked to clarify his recent comment that Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio were great singers but not great performers. He said: "When I said they weren't great frontmen, everybody said, 'Here's Dee shooting his mouth off again.' But I'm not just shooting my mouth off; I've actually taken a lot of time to think about and consider it. I didn't just make an arbitrary statement. I've thought about it. I got on my computer, and I studied and researched it. I'm actually the journalist's worst nightmare because if people want to focus on the things I say, they need to know that I'll back them up. But anyway, I said this, and then, on social media, someone said, 'Okay, so what's the difference between you and them?' So, I'll tell you the difference now: Ronnie James Dio, for example, was a great singer, but he was not a performer, at least, not in the sense of not a frontman. But me? I'm a frontman who is almost like a vaudeville performer. Now, a frontman doesn't have to sing well but needs to be a guy who can engage the audience and entertain the people who stand there. A frontman that can wow the crowd with their incredible voice, yeah, that's entertaining on a different level, but it's not the same as a full-scale performance."

Asked if he would say that his original comment was misinterpreted, Dee replied: "Absolutely. I am not saying I'm Robert Plant, nor am I saying I'm even in his league. Having said that, I do something at a level that he doesn't do, and that is I engage the crowd. I am able to establish a level of audience participation that makes the entire arena feel like they are in the front row. Robert Plant doesn't do that, but I do. He's an incredible singer, but showmanship, that's what I do well. But I said this, and people were like, 'How dare you?' Well, guess what? I fucking dare. As for Ronnie James Dio, I knew him well. We toured together. He would look at me on stage, and after the show, he'd go, 'Dude, you're crazy. You're fucking insane. You're all over the stage.' And I said back to Ronnie, 'Well, you're the greatest fucking metal singer full time. I can't do what you do, but I can hold an audience in the palm of my hand.'"

Snider's debate about what makes great "frontmen" in rock began after a fan's reply to a tweet that praised Dio as the second-greatest frontman in rock following Freddie Mercury.

"How do you differentiate a Dee Snider or an Alice Cooper or a Robert Plant or a Bon Scott… Or a Chris Cornell, who just stood there, but he sang perfectly every night," Snider explained to "Sally Steele Rocks!" "So I was just trying, in a social media Twitter discussion, to explain the differences. And people were up in arms: 'How can you possibly say that Robert Plant isn't a great frontman?' And I love Robert. And I was just trying to… You can't put me and Robert Plant in the same category. So how would you explain what Dee Snider does on stage and what Robert Plant does on stage. And I was trying to do that. But people got upset."

In his Twitter discussion about what makes great "frontmen" in rock, Snider wrote in response to a fan: "You are confusing singing with performing. There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer. Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, he pretty much just stood on stage & sang. Freddie was an amazing singer AND frontman."

Snider expressed similar sentiments about Plant, saying: "I'm a HUGE Plant fan vocally…but he showed me nothing as a performer. Looked amazing, great hair…stood on stage with one hand raised and sang his ass off. Not a frontman in my opinion. And FYI many great frontmen are not great singers."

Snider later doubled down on his opinion of Dio, referencing his first-hand experiences with the legendary heavy metal singer. He explained: "I toured with him. … He is one of my vocal heroes, but… My frontmen are all over the stage and interact with the crowd. Showmen. Think David Lee Roth, Paul Stanley, Mick Jagger, Freddy Mercury, Axl Rose…the list goes on."

Snider then supported his position by making the distinction between performance and "stage presence". He said: "I knew this would upset people. I am NOT saying that Dio, Plant etc, don't have stage presence. They have it in SPADES! But they are not performers."

Snider also mentioned other singers he calls great frontmen, including IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson, Bono, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and James Brown. He also included Kid Rock in his list, explaining: "Love him or hate him, @KidRock is one of the best I've ever seen. … Facts are facts. The guy is a killer in concert. Period. (and I am REALLY critical)."

KINGS OF THRASH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar),  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.

Asked in a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com if he and Ellefson have received any feedback from MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine about their new band or their recent live shows, tour, Young said: "We haven't, nor would we care or concern ourselves with any of that. It's a win-win for all of us, including [Mustaine], 'cause on this KINGS OF THRASH 'Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go', who's getting the publishing on every one of those tunes? Not me or David Ellefson or any of the [other members of] KINGS OF THRASH. So [Mustaine is] making the money."

When Gaudiosi noted that MEGADETH largely ignores material from the first three albums at its live concerts these days, Jeff said: "They don't play those songs because they can't play those songs; [Mustaine] can't play 'em or sing 'em. I'm not being a dick. It's just a fact. He can barely play and sing the stuff that they're doing, the same ten songs every night."

Jeff's latest comments echo those he made last year when he told Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series, Young that he and Ellefson were "really not concerned" about Mustaine's reaction to KINGS OF THRASH. "I don't pay attention," he said. "I haven't really paid attention or followed MEGADETH since, I think, I heard the 'Rust In Peace' album a couple of times, and then what you might hear on the radio or in the press.

"For us, this isn't about any spite or retaliation; it's a celebration of the music that we were all a part of, that we helped create," he explained. "And it's fun for us to do this.

"People said, 'You should do this.' And we said, 'Hey, yeah, you're right. We should do this.' It's a win-win — it's a win for us, and it's a win for [Mustaine], because any performance royalties, anything… If we did include live tracks, he would make money off that. It's promoting albums that hopefully fans will go back and buy, which is putting money right in his pocket. Especially 'Killing Is My Business', I think a lot of people are gonna go back and wanna rediscover that album after this tour.

"For us, it's all about positivity," Young added. "We're all in this moment — we're living in the moment, and we're not looking beyond. We're not reading any of the comments on Blabbermouth or any of the stuff. Because we know what our intent is, and intent is everything. And our intent's positive. We like playing together. We know we're crafting original music. We're not relying on this; we don't need to ride the coattails of this. This is just something that the fans wanted, and you wanna give fans what they want."

Ellefson told Yes! You CAN Play Guitar! that the intention behind KINGS OF THRASH is not to stick it to his former bandmates. "This is a celebration, not a retaliation," he explained. "This is a good moment. This is a happy moment, to celebrate these songs and these tracks and these records. So we go at it with just fun… It's, like, 'Wow. Wouldn't it be fun if we went out and played these records?' And we're doing it. So it's meant to be this celebration and bringing people together. And honestly, that was kind of always my role in MEGADETH. Dave [Mustaine] always called me 'The Ambassador', and I was always that guy, and I am that guy. So it's, like, let me just continue that role in our community and have one of good will."

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.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.

KINGS OF THRASH recently announced the first leg of a planned 2023 world tour, commencing February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The "Thrashin' USA" trek 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.

Speaking to Ralph Rasmussen of Radio Bypass about KINGS OF THRASH's recent shows and future plans, Ellefson said: "That was a thing where… Of course everybody knew our names — me, Jeff Young and Chris Poland. We advertised we were gonna play the 'Killing Is My Business' and 'So Far, So Good… So What!' records. And as it turns out, we ended up playing, like, half of 'Peace Sells' too. That's probably the most frickin' muscular setlist I've played since probably [MEGADETH's] 'Rude Awakening' [live album and DVD], when we filmed that in 2001 and I was 20 years younger. So we turned up the gas; there was no screwing around on that one. And it was great. It was super cool. It was super fun. It made me just realize how cool those songs are, how the detail and intricacies… It was a very different era, too. The songs were written under much different pretenses. There was a real innovation in those records, the stuff of the '80s, back then, that we were doing."

He continued: "We picked four cities. We said, 'Let's just go out and fire this off, kind of a proof of concept, show everybody what we've got.' I think the first night, when we played in San Diego, the fans right away got it. They were, like, 'Oh my God. Holy shit. We've been asking for this and wanting this for years. And oh my God. There they really are. Those are really the guys that played on those records. This is it.' And our drummer Fred and our singer Chaz, they got it in their hear as younger guys, so they get it and were excited to be there with us doing it. So, yeah, it really was just a moment in time for that to fire off like that so well. And now as a result, look, we've got live recordings, we've got more stuff coming up here in the New Year for that. So, yeah, that was just the beginning; that was just the first firework we blew off. There's definitely gonna be more after this."

In October, Young told Ghost Cult magazine that KINGS OF THRASH's first original song was being recorded at a North Hollywood studio previously used by legendary producer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix). As for the musical direction of KINGS OF THRASH's original material, Jeff said: "It's got the vibe of MEGADETH — it's on that playing field, but it's got all of its own stuff and all of our influences and some SOUNDGARDEN/TOOL vibes in maybe the music and melodies."

Jeff was also full of praise for Aching and Leon, saying: "We really feel in a way how Ozzy [Osbourne] must have felt introducing Randy Rhoads to the world with these young two guys we have, both half our age and both so composed and mature musically for their age. And we've just been having a blast. And it's great that they're fans of the music and they've really studied it. Chaz, the singer/guitar player, plays in a MEGADETH tribute and fronts a SOUNDGARDEN tribute. So he has some of that Chris Cornell huskiness… So it's really cool to hear him sing these songs with a bit more huskiness and that young exuberance that he has. I think the kids are gonna love him 'cause he has that Dimebag Darrell kind of likability."

Dave Mustaine photo credit: Gibson