Cherie Currie has once again said that a full reunion of iconic 1970s rockers THE RUNAWAYS will now probably never happen.

Speaking on "Waste Some Time With Jason Green", Currie outlined her relationships with fellow former bandmates Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox and Sandy West and the previous attempts to get the band back together.

"I'm the only bandmember that's ever played with all the bandmembers once THE RUNAWAYS dispersed, disbanded," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I played with Lita — I played with her, actually, I think in 2015 was the last time I played on stage with her. But I played, of course, with Sandy until she passed; I played with Joan [and] Jackie. So I played with all the bandmembers. But Lita has a big problem with Kenny [Laguna, Jett's manager, co-producer and co-songwriter for more than four decades]. I kind of understand why now. When Joan was into it, Lita wasn't. When Lita was into it, Joan wasn't. And at this point, it's, like, you know what, you girls. Are you out of your mind? Just grow the eff up.

"Joan uses the excuse that we're not teenagers anymore, we're not THE RUNAWAYS anymore. But to me, I think it's incredibly selfish," Currie continued.

"You do things for the fans, and when you start thinking that you're doing things for yourself after all these years of being successful in this business… I really think that both Lita and Joan owe it to the fans. But that's just me."

Cherie went on to say that she has "always been ready" to take part in a RUNAWAYS reunion. "But I didn't even consider such a thing until Lita reached out to me in '97 and asked me and Sandy to talk Joan into it," she explained. "And we did. And then right when we had the record deal and the tour and everything that Kenny had put together, Lita walked. Just from one conversation. We had a conference call with me and Sandy and Joan and Lita and Kenny, and Lita just couldn't stand hearing the sound of Kenny's voice, and she just said, 'You know what? I'm out.' And that was it. And then she came back again after THE RUNAWAYS movie, [and then] Joan says, 'No. I don't wanna do it.' And it's just crazy, because it's the same bullshit that I went through with these girls when I was a teenager. It's just kind of, like, 'Wow.' I don't know what to say; I just don't. It's frustrating because I know it would have been amazing to do. And it's frustrating. You can't make people do something they don't wanna do."

Currie added: "I have stood on that stage as an adult in my late 50s… with Lita, and with Joan as well, and it was really like time had stopped every time I had gotten on stage with those two. It's just too bad we could never have done it together, 'cause it would have absolutely been amazing."

When host Jason Green noted that a RUNAWAYS reunion doesn't look very likely, Cherie said: "I don't think so anymore. Because you get your hopes up, and then it falls apart. So I don't get my hopes up for that kind of thing anymore at all."

The first true girl band of the 1970s, THE RUNAWAYS toured internationally and made a dent in the charts before calling it quits at the end of that decade.

In November 2018, Ford told the Daily Mail that a reunion of THE RUNAWAYS will probably never happen. She explained: "Joan Jett is very much in 'Joan Jett land,' I guess you could say. Will she ever come out of Joan Jett land? I don't think so. I think her manager controls that and it's really up to him and her. It seems to me like Joan Jett's manager just runs her life in every way, shape, or form. He's very controlling and he has a real problem with me. He has a real issue with me. He sees me as a threat, which is ridiculous, because she's like my sister and I love Joan. It's ridiculous, it's uncalled for, and it's caused a little bit of rivalry between her and I, which is totally uncalled for. It's his fault."

Ford claimed that Jett's manager has prevented her from even talking about a RUNAWAYS reunion with Jett.

"The hard part is just trying to communicate with Joan without her manager involved," she added.

"We had dinner a couple of years ago, what was supposed to be a girl's night out, and she brought her manager with her.

"So it's like, "Dude, answer the question. I'm trying to ask you a question. Are you interested in putting THE RUNAWAYS back together?' She never answered the question."

In a 2015 interview with the WHMH (Rockin' 101) radio station, Lita explained that she decided against a possible RUNAWAYS reunion in the early '90s because "NIRVANA was just kicking in, and it was really bad timing; it wouldn't have worked. People would have just turned their nose up at it."

A movie about THE RUNAWAYS' brief history, starring Dakota Fanning as Currie and Kristin Stewart as Jett, came out in 2010.

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


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


Check out the first single and video, "Live, Love And Struggle", from their forthcoming album, Close To Burning.







Schwarz recently checked in with the following update:


"Looks like we have a plan for next month.... three brand new singles, two amazing videos, and in the end a full album and a release show."

On January 27th, Lynch Mob - featuring former Dokken guitarist George Lynch - performed at the Blue Note in Cincinnati, OH. Fan-filmed video of the entire show is available below.


The setlist was as follows:


"She's Evil But She's Mine"
"River of Love"
"When Heaven Comes Down" (Dokken)
"Unchain the Night" (Dokken)
"Street Fightin' Man"
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
"All I Want"
"Into the Fire" (Dokken)
"Testify"
"Sweet Sister Mercy" 
"Lightnin' Strikes Again" (Dokken)
"The Hunter" (Dokken)
"Rain"
"Mr. Scary" (Dokken)
"Wicked Sensation"
"Flesh and Blood" 
"Hell Child"
"Tooth And Nail" (Dokken)







In 2021, guitar legend George Lynch (ex-Dokken) officially dropped his Lynch Mob band name, saying it "has always been problematic, and now it's inexcusable to keep the name." He then started working with a band under the name Electric Freedom. Recent shows in Hinton, OK and Santa Fe, NM however, saw Lynch back in business under the Lynch Mob name.





Speaking with Full In Bloom, Lynch explained why he decided to go back to using the Lynch Mob moniker.


Lynch: "Lynch Mob is just a brand I'd established for decades, obviously... over three decades. Nothing's perfect, and I've gotta just live with the fact that it has some negative connotations that I probably have to continue explaining for the rest of my life, and I don't mind doing that. But it is a brand that I built, and I'm just gonna stick with it. As far as a marketing thing and a brand thing and a business thing and a working thing, and it keeps my band guys working and it keeps the fans happy, it makes sense.


It's a brand. I mean, nobody wants Coke to change their recipe. Just stay the same, and that's what you built over the years. 'Why would you change it?' is a rhetorical question. Why I'm probably not more successful in some ways in my career is because I followed my aspirations musically rather than sometimes being smart about just sticking to the plan (laughs)."

Deathcore quintet Osiah have unleashed their new EP, Chronos, via Unique Leader Records. Speaking on the release, the band shared:


"Chronos is our first EP since our debut release in 2015 with Reborn Through Hate. This record gave us a chance to really experiment with our sound, utilizing all the creative elements that have inspired us musically over the years. Each track has its own separate flare and feel, and we have found ourselves maturing creatively since the process. We hope you all enjoy, as we feel we are always attaining to find the true audial representation of who we are as artists, and it’s now spearheaded by this upcoming release, we hope you’re as excited as we are in our sound to come."


Chronos artwork and tracklisting:







"Memento Mori"
"Elder King"
"The Golden Throne"
"Seeds Of Despair"
"Hues Refract"


"Elder King" visualizer:





"Seeds Of Despair" video:





Osiah is:


Ricky Lee Roper - vocals
Chris Keepin - guitars
Andy Mallaby - guitars
Carl Dunn - bass
Danny Yates - drums


 

"Wolves" is the first single from the album Withered Paradigma by the Chilean band Weight Of Emptiness, which will be released worldwide via Sliptrick Records on March 7th.


"The magnificent process of evolution, the hopeful visualization of a future full of benefits that our enviable intellect offers us and, like it, separates us from the 'animal'... or not? In 'Wolves', it tells of that moment in life when the wild animal in us gets out of control, and we are only guided by the primordial instincts of the beast, breaking any paradigm assigned to our perfect societies or the status quo, that animal force that has raised nations and that in packs, are the true and only meaning of the rebellion... listen to the howls within you... listen to your inner wolf!"







Withered Paradigma artwork and tracklisting:





"Mutrümtun (The Calling)"
"Defrosting"
"0440"
"Wolves"
"Vital End"
"Beyond The Marinas"
"Black State Council"
"Storm Within"
"Oblivion Collector"
"Solstice Haze"
"The Awakening"


For further details, visit WeightOfEmptiness.com.


 

Australian hard rock band The Poor issued High Price Deed, their first full album in over a decade, on February 3, 2023. That same day saw the release of the video for the song "Lover".





High Price Deed artwork and tracklisting:







"Payback's A Bitch"
"Lover"
"Hurricane"
"This Is The Story"
"Take The World"
"Goin' Down"
"Cry Out"
"Lies"
"I Know It's Wrong"
"Love Shot"
"Let Me Go"
"Too Long"


"Payback's A Bitch":





"Cry Out":





"Let Me Go":





The Poor started out playing the pub circuit in Darwin nearly two decades ago. The plan was simple -, hard rockin’ hard drinkin’ and world domination. In 1992 the band cut their debut release, the EP Rude, Crude & Tattooed, produced by Rick Brewster and Bob Spencer from The Angels and from the opening line you knew it was going to be something great; Aussie pub rock, in your face, no bullsh*t, straight to the point, rock’n’f%&k’n’roll.


In mid 1993, the band recorded their debut album, Who Cares, which spawned their most notable single, “More Wine Waiter Please”. An unrelenting couple of decades followed where they toured relentlessly, drank hard and rocked harder touring Australia, Europe and Japan, sharing stages with the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, The Scorpions, Alice In Chains and Van Halen.


In 2000 the band went into hibernation until an invitation to tour with W.A.S.P. was too good to refuse. It didn’t take long for them to get back into the rock’n’roll groove they cut so deeply in previous years. Round 1 and Round 2 albums followed in 2009 and 2010 respectively.


After 12 years of touring their supercharged ‘NO BS Aussie Rock’ show with local and international rock bands including AC/DC, The Screaming Jets, Rose Tattoo and The Angels, cut to the present day and The Poor has released new music on their old and new fans. Original members Anthony (Skenie) Skene, Matt Whitby and (almost original drummer) Gavin Hansen are joined by relative newcomer and lead guitarist Daniel Cox.


For further details, visit ThePoorBand.com.


 

Seven Spires have announced the upcoming audio release of their 2022 performance at the legendary ProgPower USA Festival, Live At Prog Power USA XXI, on March 17.


Check out live audio of "The Cabaret Of Dreams" from the album below.







Captured in Atlanta, GA at ProgPower USA XXI, which took place in June 2022, Live At ProgPower USA XXI sees Seven Spires delivering a potent performance of a selection of tracks from their three studio albums. A truly spectacular live entity, the band's riveting musicianship is on display across the board in this epic and enchanting performance.


There is also a very special appearance from Roy Khan of Conception on the performance of "This God Is Dead", bringing to life his guest appearance on the studio version of the same song.


You can hear the band's performance of "Ghost Of Yesterday" on all streaming services now. A visualizer can be found below. Pre-order / save Live At ProgPower USA XXI on CD/Digital here.





Tracklisting:


"Wanderer’s Prayer"
"Gods Of Debauchery"
"Ghost Of Yesterday"
"The Cabaret Of Dreams"
"Succumb"
"In Sickness, In Health"
"Bury You"
Drum Solo
"Oceans Of Time"
"Shadow On An Endless Sea"
"Dare To Live"
"This God Is Dead" (Feat. Roy Khan)
"Through Lifetimes (End)"


"Ghost Of Yesterday":





Seven Spires are:


Adrienne Cowan - Vocals and Orchestration
Jack Kosto - Guitars
Peter de Reyna – Bass
Chris Dovas - Drums
Roy Khan - Guest Vocals on "This God Is Dead"

AFM Records have checked in with the following update:


"Legendary guitar player Ross The Boss and his band are going to release a 'vinyl only' Best Of compilation, titled Legacy Of Blood, Fire & Steel, on April 28th. It consists of 12 songs taken from the four Ross The Boss studio albums.


Legacy Of Blood, Fire & Steel will arrive on April 28th – the same day Ross The Boss kick off their European tour."




Stay tuned for details, check out the cover artwork below.





Kings Of Metal 35th Anniversary tour dates are as follows:


April
28 - Remchingen, Germany - No Playback Festival
29 - Vorselaar, Belgium - De Dreef
30 - Lingen, Germany -  Alter Schlachthof


May
2 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
3 - Magdeburg, Germany - Factory
4 - Kassel, Germany - Goldgrube
5 - Andernach, Germany - Andernacher Metal Days
6 - Gladbeck, Germany - Gladbeck Metal Bash Open Air
7 - Drachten, Netherlands - Iduna
9 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg
10 - Oldenburg, Germany - Amadeus
11 - Odense, Denmark - Kansas City
12 - Hademarschen, Germany - Hademarscher Hof
13 - Hamburg Neu-Wulmstorf, Germany - Metal Bash

The Hollywood Stars have released their new EP Still Around via Golden Robot Records. 


Born from the ‘70s Hollywood rock scene, The Hollywood Stars have re-established themselves with their four track EP. The previously unheard title track “Still Around” is a high energy song that captures the bands longevity and passion for rock ‘n' roll.







"The band is really psyched to be releasing our first EP on Golden Robot. The fourth single, 'Still Around' epitomizes the band and its long history. Against all odds, we are still rockin!,” says lead singer Scott Phares.


Stream/purchase Still Around EP here.

Black Lodge Records has issued Rexoria's new album Imperial Dawn.


With strong melodies, heavy riffs and exciting keyboards this new album brings a mix of energetic, heavy, and melodic songs led by powerful vocals from Frida Ohlin.


On Imperial Dawn, Rexoria elevate their sound in a way that is sure to be appreciated by both current and new fans.




Frida says: "It's been so long since our previous album, and this release feels extra special for us! Since we are going forward with what I think is our strongest album yet, I am so excited to present this for you all!"


Jonas adds: "I really hope that you all will like this album as much as we do. Welcome to the new era of Rexoria!"


Lyric video for third single “Paradigm” is available below:





Mixed by Stefan Hellblad from Within Temptation and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson, Imperial Dawn is of top quality sound. 


Rexoria has previously done several European tours and has played with bands such as Battle Beast, Bloodbound, Dynazty, Hardcore Superstar and Raubtier to name a few.


Order Imperial Dawn here.

LIMP BIZKIT has released the official music video for the song "Out Of Style". The clip, co-directed by LIMP BIZKIT frontman Fred Durst and Marc Klasfel, uses deepfake technology to show members of LIMP BIZKIT as world leaders — Durst is Vladimir Putin, Wes Borland is Joe Biden, DJ Lethal is Volodymyr Zelenskyy — jamming in a garage while "Tom Cruise" is in charge of the barbeque.

"Out Of Style" is taken from LIMP BIZKIT's latest album, "Still Sucks", which came out in October 2021.

Prior to the arrival of "Still Sucks", LIMP BIZKIT had not released a new studio LP since 2011's "Gold Cobra", although the band has spent a lot of time writing and recording music over the past decade.

Next month, LIMP BIZKIT will embark on a rescheduled European headline tour, with support from WARGASM and BLACKGOLD. LIMP BIZKIT will also make several U.S. festival appearances this spring and summer, including New Jersey's Bamboozle in May and Ohio's Inkcarceration in July.

Nine LIMP BIZKIT titles have landed on the Billboard 200, including two which topped the chart — 1999's "Significant Other" and 2000's "Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water".

LIMP BIZKIT signed with AGI for North American tour representation in 2021 after announcing that they were canceling all the remaining 2021 shows on their "Post Pandemic Popup Party" tour.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the artist who created the artwork for MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", has filed a lawsuit against the band, claiming he hasn't received pay or credit for his work.

In the lawsuit, which was filed on February 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, New York-based illustrator and designer Brent Elliott White, who has previously worked with TRIVIUM, JOB FOR A COWBOY, DEATH ANGEL and ARCH ENEMY, among others, says he was contacted in early 2020 about creating a design concept and artwork for an upcoming MEGADETH studio album, which would be the third MEGADETH LP he has been involved in designing and producing artwork for.

By mid-April 2021, MEGADETH had settled on the concept and artwork that would become the basis for the cover of their album now titled "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" Around this time, White says he was asked to create cover art for an EP release, which he also worked on.

On June 22, 2022, 5B Artists + Media CEO (and MEGADETH manager) Bob Johnsen told White that MEGADETH had been working on costumes for an upcoming tour and required additional renderings of the artwork chosen for the album cover because the stage decorations for the tour would be based on the album cover art, the lawsuit states. By text, White reminded Johnsen that he still did not have a written contract with MEGADETH and had not been paid for his work, saying: "I know album release time is hectic but I have to mention that any send off, including album art, is contingent on compensation and contract. So we're going to have to sort that out soon." In response, Johnsen told White: "First song drops tmrw [sic]" but assured "No one intended to not have this papered by now" and he "would bring it up the right way."

On June 23, 2022, without a signed agreement with White in place and without paying White anything for his work, MEGADETH released White's artwork and — "shockingly to" White, according to the lawsuit — credited MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine for the album's "Art Concept."

The next day, White reached out to MEGADETH's record label, Universal Music Group, complaining, "I still don't have a contract or payment from UMG for The Sick The Dying and the Dead…Bob [Johnsen] reached out yesterday…and he said he left it with UMG… I assumed someone would reach out to me to have this done before the album went out. Now the art was released in conjunction with the single and album pre-sale on social, [MEGADETH] website, Rollingstone [Magazine]…None of it credits me, not a mention on social and no credit in the article. We don't have a contract or art release or usage agreement. Not trying to get legal here but since we don't have a rights transferred agreement copyright does reside with me."

After the artwork was released, MEGADETH "attempted to force" White to accept the same terms as for the first MEGADETH album he provided artwork for, according to the suit. White "never agreed to these terms and had expressly told" MEGADETH "before the album artwork was released that this arrangement would not be acceptable."

In late July 2021, White gave Johnsen a breakdown of the time he spent working on the album artwork to date, which totaled $21,500. Johnsen agreed to the amount, but only if it would be for a "total buyout" of White's intellectual property rights to his artwork. White refused, and when he gave MEGADETH a price for buying out his intellectual property rights, with carve-outs for ways in which White had previously told MEGADETH he expected to be able to continue to exploit his own work and profit from it. MEGADETH refused to agree to those terms, including White's buyout price. Still with no contract or usage agreement in place with White, MEGADETH released "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" in September 2022.

White is suing MEGADETH, Universal Music Group and others for copyright infringement is asking the court for an injunction that would stop MEGADETH and UMG from using the artwork. He is also seeking damages and disgorgement of profits.

The Rolling Stones will release GRRR Live!, the definitive live hits album from the band’s career, on February 10 via Mercury Studios/Universal Music. The album will be available in various formats; 3LP black, 3LP coloured white (Indies exclusive) 3LP red (d2c exclusive), 2CD, DVD + 2CD, BluRay+ 2CD. The Blu-ray and digital versions will include Dolby Atmos.


A video for "Doom And Gloom" from the upcoming release is available for streaming below:







The Rolling Stones also announced a new online concert event celebrating the release of GRRR Live!. The concert will take place February 2 at 8PM GMT / 8PM Eastern / 8PM Pacific / 8PM AWST (February 3).


Recorded on the band’s 50 & Counting Tour, the GRRR Live! concert featured guest appearances by The Black Keys ("Who Do You Love?"), Gary Clark Jr & John Mayer ("Going Down"), Lady Gaga ("Gimme Shelter"), Mick Taylor ("Midnight Rambler") and hometown hero Bruce Springsteen ("Tumbling Dice"), and proved to be one of the most memorable shows in the band’s history. It has not been available to fans since it originally aired on pay-per-view in 2012.


The GRRR Live! experience will bring this history-making concert to fans around the world on RollingStonesNewark.com via interactive video company Kiswe’s global live streaming technology. The concert features some of the greatest songs of all time including "It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)", "Honky Tonk Women", "Start Me Up", "Gimme Shelter", "Sympathy For The Devil" and "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction". Unlike viewing performances on other platforms, Kiswe Live allows the fans to be part of the experience. Fans from all over the world will be able to upload short video selfies of themselves to celebrate the band, the performances, see themselves on the screen and be seen by others across the globe, alongside the performance.


Tickets are on sale at RollingStonesNewark.com.


The best live band in the world deserve the ultimate live greatest hits album and GRRR Live! is it, The Stones at their best! The album is available to pre-order here and features some of the greatest songs of all time including "It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)", "Honky Tonk Women", "Start Me Up", "Gimme Shelter", "Sympathy For The Devil" and "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction".





The Rolling Stones celebrated their golden anniversary in 2012 & 2013 by embarking on the 50 & Counting Tour, a 30-show itinerary for North America and Europe. On December 15, 2012, the band took the stage at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center for the final of four shows in the New York area.


Since its original airing on pay-per-view in 2012, this show has not been available to fans until now. The concert has been re-edited and the audio has been remixed. Three songs from the December 13 show (also in Newark) will be available as bonus features on the DVD and Blu-ray: "Respectable" (with John Mayer), "Around And Around", and "Gimme Shelter".





GRR Live! tracklisting:


CD1:


"Get Off Of My Cloud"
"The Last Time"
"It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)"
"Paint It Black"
"Gimme Shelter" (with Lady Gaga)
"Wild Horses"
"Going Down" (with John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr)
"Dead Flowers"
"Who Do You Love?" (with The Black Keys)
"Doom And Gloom"
"One More Shot"
"Miss You"
"Honky Tonk Women"
Band Introductions


CD2:


"Before They Make Me Run"
"Happy"
"Midnight Rambler" (with Mick Taylor)
"Start Me Up"
"Tumbling Dice" (with Bruce Springsteen)
"Brown Sugar"
"Sympathy For the Devil"
"You Can’t Always Get What You Want"
"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction"














(Photo - Claude Gassian)

John 5 and his band THE CREATURES have a new single out called "Strung Out". The single, which was engineered, recorded and mixed by Barry Pointer, is available on streaming platforms now. You can watch the playthrough video — directed by Mike Savage — below.

John 5 explains: "This song is called 'Strung Out' because I am so obsessed with playing guitar that when I don't play and create new music for a while, I start to go a little insane."

He adds: "There'll be more CREATURES shows sometime in the near future and I really look forward to playing this song live."

"Strung Out" credits:

John 5 - Guitar and Bass
Alex Mercado - Drums

In October 2022, it was revealed that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following the announcement that Mick Mars would be retiring. John 5 will be seen in 2023 with MÖTLEY CRÜE on "The World Tour" with DEF LEPPARD which will kick off with Latin American dates in February before moving on to Europe in the summer.

John 5 said of the news: "I'm honored to carry on Mick's legacy and am looking forward to playing these songs."

In 2015, following a series of web shows to celebrate the release of his solo album "Careful With That Axe", John 5 decided to take his solo set on tour, and formed THE CREATURES band to support his live shows. Initially joined by long-term friend Rodger Carter on drums, the band continues touring to this day, and now work as a unit on John 5's solo albums, including "Season Of The Witch", the live album "It's Alive", "Invasion" and 2021's "Sinner". The current lineup includes John 5, Ian Ross on bass and drummer Alejandro (Alex) Mercado.

John 5 has also contributed to the work of iconic artists such as LYNYRD SKYNRD, Meatloaf, Ricky Martin and Rod Stewart, among many others.

He says: "I'm busy, constantly busy with work, but I look at who I am in the studio with or sending music to and I think I don't ever want it to stop."

FIRSTBORNE, the band featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Adler and MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo, has released the official music video for its latest single, "Intercontinental Champions". The clip was built on the Unreal engine by video game artist Matt Burdette.

Commented FIRSTBORNE guitarist Myrone: "Believe it or not, this is NOT a rendering. We look like this now. We're ready for cyberspace, the metaverse, Goldeneye DLC and whatever comes next!"

Added Burdette: "With the power of Unreal Engine 5 we were able to move the needle forward in next generation rendering and animation — further blurring the definition of reality. FIRSTBORNE has never looked so real, today is a watershed moment in graphics, video games and music."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIRSTBORNE is:

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

KINGS OF THRASH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar),  recently signed a worldwide deal with Cleopatra Records. The group will release a live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" on March 24. The 17-song set was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA on October 15, 2022 and also features performances with another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar). The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment.

Last month, KINGS OF THRASH 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 MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety.

Asked in a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series if he would "allow" MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine to come up and play a few songs with KINGS OF THRASH, if Dave was interested in jamming with his former bandmates, Poland said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Fuck, I would. Yeah, I would. Are you kidding? I mean, please, that would be pretty cool. But Dave's probably kind of like Miles Davis. Miles Davis never looked back; he only looked forward. And I know he's playing certain songs from certain records, but I don't think he wants to go that far back. And that'd be a lot for him to learn. But I guess he wrote it; he could probably play that in about five minutes.

"I was surprised when I was [re-]learning the [old MEGADETH] songs," Chris continued. "I was, like, 'What the hell did I play there?' or 'What's that part?' and all of a sudden my muscle memory came back. And I was, like, 'Oh my God. That's how I played it.' And it was 40 years ago. I told David Ellefson that. He goes, 'Yeah, I know. Me too.'

"But I do wanna say that Jeff Young… Oh my God. I knew Jeff Young was a great guitarist but being out and playing those shows with him, I have a whole new respect for his playing, man. 'Cause he is nailing Dave, and nailing himself, and then just rocking while he's doing it. It's pretty amazing, man. Not to take anything away from Chaz. Chaz is an amazing guitar player himself, and to sing and play those things, I only thought Dave could do that… You can learn the parts, but you're gonna learn the parts and sing it while you're playing it? I used to wonder how Dave did it when I was in the band, when we were playing those hard, hard songs like that. And Chaz — not a problem. Everybody in [KINGS OF THRASH], it's all for one and one for all, man. There's no egos anywhere. Everybody's just, like, 'Let's go.'"

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.

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 Dave 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.

Mick Mars's upcoming project "sounds huge," according to country-rocker Cory Marks, who got to spend some time with the MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist this past weekend.

On Sunday (February 5),Cory took to his Instagram to share a few photos and a short video of him with Mars at Mick's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, and he included the following message: "Spent my Saturday hanging out with one of the coolest, sweetest, most kind down to earth bad asses on this planet that I'm lucky to call a friend. So many stories and a lot of laughs talking music, guns, planes, guitars, drums, travel, road stories (he's got cooler ones than me),health, fitness, zombies, sex, drugs and rock and roll! I now know a lot more about @motleycrue @slash @therollingstones @defleppard and the on and only @ozzyosbourne … yes… If you're wondering Ozzy did snort a bunch of aunts…

"@mr.mickmars THANK YOU for having me over and letting me hear your new project…which sounds HUGE. The rock world is in for something weird, special, great and LOUD. Surreal walking into your studio and the first thing I see is a gold record on top of a bunch of @marshallamps stacked up together with my face and name on it and I'll be sending you a couple more very soon. Don't be surprised if you see Mars & Marks on more songs together down the road… Outlaws And Outsiders forever."

Mars was a featured guest on Marks's song "Outlaws & Outsiders", which was made available in November 2019. The track also included appearances by Travis Tritt and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody.

Mick announced in October that he was retiring from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time.

The 71-year-old Mars has struggled with Ankylosing spondylitis since his late teens and spoke about his first experiences with it in CRÜE's 2001 biography "The Dirt".

"My hips started hurting so bad every time I turned my body that it felt like someone was igniting fireworks in my bones," he said. "I didn't have enough money to see a doctor, so I just kept hoping that I could do what I usually do: will it away, through the power of my mind. But it kept getting worse. Then, one afternoon while doing my laundry. I started having trouble breathing. At first, it felt like someone had plunged a knife into my back. But as the weeks passed, the pain kept moving around my back. Next, my stomach started burning, and I worried that my whole body was about to fall apart. I thought that there was a hole in my stomach, and acids were leaking out and destroying my bones and organs. I'd grab hold of doorknobs, anchor my legs into the ground, and pull with my hands to stretch my back and ease the pressure out."

Mick told Metal Sludge in 2008 that his condition had worsened in the later decades and that he stopped playing guitar for almost two years. "Nowadays, it's not so bad, but back then when I was high on all that stuff and MÖTLEY were having a break, I knew if I didn't stop, I was gonna die. In the end, I had to go to a neuro-psychiatrist to straighten me up, and he said to me, 'Just hold the guitar for an hour a day — don't play it, just hold it.' It was pretty bizarre but I got through it, and in the end, I think I'm actually a better player because of it."

Last April, Paul Taylor, well known as an accomplished guitarist/keyboardist who has worked with countless artists as a composer and musician over the decades, most famously with WINGER, revealed during an appearance on the "Sonic Dorms" podcast that he spent "the last couple of years" collaborating with Mars on the CRÜE guitarist's long-awaited solo album.

"I wrote most of the record with Mick and [Alabama musician] Jacob Bunton, who sang with [former GUNS N' ROSES drummer] Steve Adler," Paul said. "Me and Jacob have written a lot of stuff for TV together. I'm really excited to have that come out."

Taylor went on to say that he was impressed with Mick's skills as a guitarist and a songwriter.

"Mick is so awesome, and just the endless cool things he comes up with and the palette of sounds," he said. "There's days I just go, 'Is that guitar? Is that you doing all that?' [It's been] really fun. I'm very excited about that."

According to Taylor, he worked with Mars and Bunton on Mick's solo album "for a good year and a half. And Mick doesn't really want me to say too much about it," he explained. "But he said it's okay just to say it's a heavy record — it's definitely heavy — and it very versatile. I feel really lucky that I got to sit and work with him and turn these things into songs. I think it's gonna blow some people away. It's really cool."

Mars has been working on his solo disc — on and off — for at least the past seven years. Some of the early sessions for the LP were helmed by recently retired producer Michael Wagener (OZZY OSBOURNE, ACCEPT, WARRANT, SKID ROW) at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, where Mars has lived for about a decade.

Three years ago, Bunton revealed that he was the lead singer on Mars's solo album. Speaking to AL.com, Bunton, who has previously also played with LYNAM, said about his collaboration with Mars: "I can tell you that I'm involved and the past several months we wrote and recorded a record and Michael Wagener produced it. The great Michael Wagener from [mixing 1986 METALLICA album] 'Master Of Puppets' and all that kind of stuff. He worked with MÖTLEY CRÜE on their very first record 'Too Fast For Love', when they did it themselves they recorded the record and then Michael Wagener mixed, and then when they got the record deal with Elektra, [QUEEN producer] Roy Thomas Baker ended up going back and remixing it. But on all of their self-released copies, it's Michael. But to make a long story short, Michael's producing the record because that was the first producer Mick worked with in MÖTLEY CRÜE, so he wanted to do his solo album, so it's been really cool. We've been recording it in Nashville and we're almost done."

Regarding what fans can expect from Mars's solo CD, Bunton said: "The songs are really cool, the record is really cool. He's such an inventive player and his riffs are insane and it's definitely going to be what people are expecting. When they hear it … It's really cool."

In September 2019, Mick told Billboard about the musical direction of his solo material: "[It's] not like today's music, which to me is pretty much pop metal and more growly guys. It's all cool and it's all good, and I'm just searching for something that's just a little different than that. I [also] don't want to be living in '85. It's hard to reinvent yourself, but that's what I'm doing now. I'm trying to reinvent the way that I approach music writing. I've got a lot of crap, and I've got a lot of good stuff too."

At the time of the Billboard interview, Mars said that he had been working with a vocalist named Jacob, leading some fans to speculate that he was referring to Bunton. "[He] can be a lot of different voices, and it's pretty amazing," Mick said. "I go, 'I want this kind of voice here,' and he'll pull it straight off."

In a separate interview with "Talking Metal", Mars said that his debut solo record will not sound like anybody else. "Well, I guess it's my own style," he said. "It isn't really blues. My playing has a blues element to it, of course, but it isn't what you would call a blues record. It's more of a heavier rock thing, but I don't wanna even try to 'outheavy' the heavies, you know what I mean? It's just something hopefully just a little different than what's going on now. You're not gonna hear a MÖTLEY-flavored song, except for the guitar, [because] that's me. They're gonna be a bit harder than that, but not as hard as the heavies, like MINISTRY and some of those guys."

In December 2021, former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi said that he didn't know if the songs he recorded with Mars seven years ago will make it to the MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist's solo LP.

Back in 2016, Mars released snippets of two solo songs, apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage". The tracks, which were recorded at the aforementioned Blackbird Studio, featured Corabi, who appeared on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album. Corabi later said that he didn't contribute to the writing process for the two songs, but that he was open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material.

In August 2021, KORN drummer Ray Luzier confirmed that he is a featured guest on Mars's solo album.

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First released in November 1980, The Turn Of A Friendly Card was the fifth album by The Alan Parsons Project, the brainchild of composer, musician and manager Eric Woolfson and celebrated producer and engineer Alan Parsons.


Inspired by the period in which both Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons had resided in Monte Carlo, this legendary album was recorded in Paris. The album sessions featured the contribution of musicians such as Ian Bairnson (guitars), David Paton (bass), Stuart Elliott (drums) with Eric Woolfson playing keyboards and providing lead vocals, along with Elmer Gantry, Chris Rainbow and Lenny Zakatek. The Turn Of A Friendly Card would become one of the biggest selling albums for The Alan Parsons Project, attaining gold status in many European countries and the US. The album featured such classic compositions as “Games People Play”, “Time”, “The Gold Bug” and “The Turn Of A Friendly” suite which dominated the album’s second side.


This new deluxe edition comprises 3CDs and a Blu-Ray disc (Region Free) with an additional 42 tracks drawn from Eric Woolfson’s song-writing diaries, studio session out-takes and a stunning new 5.1 surround sound mix by Alan Parsons and a high resolution remastered original stereo mix, along with the promotional videos of “Games People Play”, “The Gold Bug” and “The Turn Of A Friendly Card” plus a promotional television advertisement.




This stunning set also features a lavish illustrated book with a new essay with photos, memorabilia and features recollections from Alan Parsons and Sally Woolfson. It also includes a reproduction poster.


Due for release on February 24, you can pre-order the set here.





Tracklisting:


Disc One - The Turn Of A Friendly Card Remastered:


"May Be A Price To Pay"
"Games People Play"
"Time"
"I Don’t Wanna Go Home"
"The Gold Bug"
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part One)"
"Snake Eyes"
"The Ace Of Swords"
"Nothing Left To Lose"
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)"


Bonus tracks:


"May Be A Price To Pay" (Intro Demo)
"Nothing Left To Lose" (Basic Backing Track)
"Nothing Left To Lose" (Chris Rainbow Overdub Vocal Compilation)
"Time" (Early Studio Attempt)
"Games People Play" (Rough Mix)
"The Gold Bug" (Demo)


Disc Two - Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries:


"May Be A Price To Pay"
"Games People Play"
"Time"
"I Don’t Wanna Go Home"
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card"
"Snake Eyes"
"Nothing Left To Lose"
"Tofc / Snake Eyes / I Don’t Wanna Go Home"
"La La La Lah"
"Next Year"
"Someone Else"
"Taking It All Away"
"To Those Of You Out There"


Disc Three - Recording Sessions Bonus Tracks:


"May Be A Price To Pay" (Early Version – Eric Guide Vocal And Unused Guitar Solo)
"Games People Play" (Early Version – Eric Guide Vocal)
"Time" (Orchestra And Chris Rainbow Backing Vocals)
"The Gold Bug" (Early Reference Version)
"The Gold Bug" (Chris Rainbow Backing Vocals)
"The Gold Bug" (Clavinet With No Delay)
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card – Part One" (Early Backing Track)
"Snake Eyes" (Early Version – Eric Guide Vocal)
"The Ace Of Swords" (Early Version With Synth Orchestration)
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card – Part Two" (Eric Guide Vocal And Extended Guitar Solo)


Single edits:


"Games People Play" (Single Edit)
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card" (Single Edit)
"Snake Eyes" (Single Edit)


Disc Four – Blu Ray (5.1 Surround Sound Mix (2019) And High-Resolution Original Stereo Mix By Alan Parsons):


"May Be A Price To Pay"
"Games People Play"
"Time"
"I Don’t Wanna Go Home"
"The Gold Bug"
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part One)"
"Snake Eyes"
"The Ace Of Swords"
"Nothing Left To Lose"
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)"


Visual content:


"The Turn Of A Friendly Card" (Album Ad)
"Games People Play" (Promotional Video)
"The Gold Bug" (Promotional Video)
"The Turn Of A Friendly Card" (Promotional Video)

Transatlantic - the prog supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas - will release of a new concert set entitled The Final Flight: Live At L’Olympia on February 17. It was recorded and filmed in France on the last stop of a tour to promote the band’s fifth and most audacious album to date, The Absolute Universe. This was the multinational group’s first outing in eight years.


Watch "We All Need Some Light" from the set, below:







Released in February 2021 to unanimous praise, The Absolute Universe came in two alternate formats; an abridged 64-minute record known as The Breath Of Life, and a companion piece entitled Forevermore that added a further four songs, clocking in at an hour and a half. Though the foundations of both were shared, each format featured lyrics and music independent of the other.


However, when Transatlantic finally hit the road they opted to perform a third format of the album, a full-bells-and-whistles, 96-minute Blu-ray culmination of both takes known as The Ultimate Edition that had been released in 5.1 surround sound. Following that segment of the show Transatlantic took a short intermission and returned to the stage for a rollercoaster trawl through the remainder of their lavish catalogue. From the first note of "Overture (The Absolute Universe)" through to the medley based around the first two Transatlantic albums that closes the evening, the performance comprised 3 hours of music in total.


“Ever since the start of this band we have played for three hours, so that’s something we’re all used to,” states drummer Mike Portnoy, who grins whilst describing his own experience as “butt-numbing”. However, Roine Stolt is ready to admit that this time felt very slightly different.


“It was a great tour,” acknowledges the guitarist and multi-musician, “but when you include our spot at Morsefest [where besides performing The Absolute Universe the band also revisited their 2009 album ‘The Whirlwind’ and revised a cover of Procol Harum’s ‘In Held (’Twas) In I’ that had featured on their debut from 2000, ‘SMPTe’] I felt the challenge of learning, or re-learning, three-and-a-half hours of music before leaving Sweden. Now that I am getting slightly older, I was a little worried about playing for that long – it requires a lot of concentration: ‘Is this one in 7/8 or 9/8? Maybe we’ll play it in 13/8 and in a different key?’ But of course, once we got out there onto the stage, those thoughts went straight out of the window.”


With a chuckle, vocalist and keyboard wizard Neal Morse reveals that as the tour found its feet Transatlantic threw an additional curveball. “We started playing songs slightly differently to the way you've heard them on ‘The Ultimate Edition”, he grins. “So what you get with this live album is similar, but essentially it’s a fourth version [of the record]. When you play live, from night to night it helps to keep things fresh by jamming a bit and changing things up as you go. There are a few examples of that, for instance, the beginning of the last section that starts with ‘Belong’ is quite different than the record – partly because we couldn’t remember it! So we made up a new structure.”


“We’re always as well prepared as we can be but in a way Transatlantic is kind of a show band” points out bassist Pete Trewavas. “Playing alongside Mike who is a powerhouse on the drums, there is this raw power. If he wants to raise the energy that’s what we do. We’re all taking solos here and there, though we get the songs across we’re all showing off as much as we can”.


Filmed by Paul Green (who also shot their ‘Whirld Tour 2010: Live in London release), and mixed by longtime collaborator Rich Mouser, this set will be available as a Special Edition 3CD+Blu-ray Digipak (incl. 5.1 surround sound) & as a Gatefold 180g 4LP release. Both feature artwork by Thomas Ewerhard & photos by Nidhal Marzouk.


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Absolute Universe" Intro
"Overture"
"Reaching For The Sky"
"Higher Than The Morning"
"The Darkness In The Light"
"Take Now My Soul"
"Bully"
"Rainbow Sky"
"Looking For The Light"
"The World We Used To Know"
MP Intro
"The Sun Comes Up Today"
"Love Made A Way" (Prelude)
"Owl Howl"
"Solitude"
"Belong"
"Lonesome Rebel"
"Can You Feel It"
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends"
"Love Made A Way"
"The Whirlwind Suite"
NM & RS Intro
"We All Need Some Light"
"The Final Medley"


"Rose Colored Glasses" video:





"Owl Howl" video:





Lineup (on this recording):


Neal Morse - Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar & Vocals
Mike Portnoy - Drums & Vocals
Roine Stolt - Guitar & Vocals
Pete Trewavas - Bass & Vocals


With: Ted Leonard - Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion & Vocals