Trivium - Matthew K. Heafy (vocals/guitars); Corey Beaulieu (guitars); Paolo Gregoletto (bass); and drummer Alex Bent - recently embarked on a sold-out headline tour of Europe along with Heaven Shall Burn. The bands marked the occasion with a twist and came up with a clever way to give their fans some "new" music.


Trivium shared their cover of Heaven Shall Burn's "Implore The Darken Sky". Listen to the song, now available at all DSPs, here. A new video for the track can be viewed below.







The cover is featured on a split 7" that the bands are selling on the road and directly to fans while touring Europe together. Heaven Shall Burn previously released their cover of Trivium's "Pillar Of Serpents," which appears on the band's first album From Ember To Inferno. Listen below.


"In the early days of Trivium, back when we were discovering the many great genres and flavors of heavy music, I knew about the classic greats, I knew about extreme metal, but never before had I heard what HSB was doing," says Heafy. "Heaven Shall Burn's Whatever It May Take album was my first introduction to their brand of metalcore. This fusion of hardcore ethos and metal sounds blew my mind."


Heafy finishes, “'Implore the Darken Sky' is not only my favourite HSB song, but the one that taught me so much about a sound that needed to be injected into Trivium."








Beartooth and Trivium have announced their 2023 co-headline tour. The 29-city tour kicks off Monday, May 1 in Stroudsburg, PA at Sherman Theater with stops in Nashville, TN, Las Vegas, NV, Grand Rapid, MI, and more before wrapping up on Thursday, June 15 in Seattle, WA at Paramount Theater.


Malevolence and Archetypes Collide will join the bands on all dates across the upcoming tour. Full routing can be found below, along with upcoming Beartooth festival dates.


Trivium are stoked about this bill, saying, "TRIVTOOTH! We are elated to announce our co-headlining monster of a tour with the incredible Beartooth. We have been fans of what they do, and pals with them for ages - so it's great we're finally doing something so massive together. Trivium and Beartooth are both bands supported by each of our wonderful fan-bases - so we know these shows are going to go off. Add in Malevolence, one of our favorite bands on the planet, and Archetypes Collide, one of Beartooth's favorites, and we have a hell of a bill.”





"I'm so excited to go out on this amazing tour with metal legends Trivium," says frontman Caleb Shomo of Beartooth (pictured above). "When the stars aligned and it was possible, it truly was a no-brainer. This tour is gonna be unique, fun, and face-melting from start to finish. Strap in, bring your metal horns, and be prepared to get your face ripped off."


Tickets here.


Both bands are doing a joint VIP offering where fans can buy ticketless VIP upgrades to meet both bands, head here.





Tour dates:


April
21 - Tampa, FL - 98RockFest*
22 - Orlando, FL - Earth Day Birthday*
23 - St. Augustine, FL - Planet Band Camp*
28 - Newark, NJ - Rock The Rock Fest*
29 - Worcester, MA - The Big Gig*


May
1 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater
3 - Green Bay, WI - EPIC Event Center
4 - Milwaukee, WI - Hog Fest*
6 - St. Paul, MN - Twin City Takeover*
8 - Grand Rapids, MI - GLC Live at 20 Monroe
9 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Riverworks
10 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
12 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
13 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall
14 - Portland, ME - State Theatre
16 - Richmond, VA - The National
17 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
18 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome to Rockville (Trivium Only)
20 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
21 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
24 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
25 - Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple Festival (Beartooth Only)
26 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
27 - Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple Festival (Trivium Only)
28 - Corbin, KY - Corbin Arena
30 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral
31 - Clive, IA - Horizon Event Center


June
2 - East Moline, IL - The Rust Belt
3 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
4 - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa Theater
6 - Austin, TX - Emo's
7 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum
9 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee
10 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
11 - Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Auditorium
12 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
14 - Spokane, WA - The Podium
15 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater


* Festival dates with Beartooth only


 

Scorpions have shared professionally-filmed footage of their performance of "Blackout" from the 2012 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Check it out below.





Scorpions french fan club, Crazyscorps, has released a new interview with frontman Klaus Meine, available for streaming below.




During the chat, Klaus talks about writing songs for the band's Rock Believer album, the current political situation in Europe, the impact of the pandemic and the war on his perception of the world, his will to remove "Wind Of Change" from the band's setlist, and his love for France, among other subjects.

Former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp will release "Songs Of White Lion", on April 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. As the title implies, the album sees Tramp re-imagining select cuts from WHITE LION's catalog. A single for "Cry For Freedom" is available today on all digital music services.

Tramp says: "For me, the period of 1983-1991 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Everything I did back then was for the first time, and even though it was beyond exciting and adventurous, when it came to an end, it was more than just the end of a band, it was also the end of a very specific time in my life that I had lived and been part of. Over the next 20 years, I would revisit that time in my life in small parts, but never felt 100% comfortable with it. I simply could not force myself to recreate what I once was.

"Now, here I am again, the year is 2023 and I have recorded an album of the 'big' WHITE LION songs as close to the originals as possible, but exploring small new parts that today I feel should be that way," he continues. "I am not 26 anymore, I don't sing like I am 26, and I wouldn't be doing justice to the songs or myself if I tried to sing like I am 26. Today, I sing the songs that I wrote with Vito Bratta over 40 years ago exactly the way I am today. This is the only way I can embrace them and feel at home and be honest to myself and the songs."

"Songs Of White Lion" track listing:

01. Lady Of The Valley
02. Little Fighter
03. Broken Heart
04. Love Don't Come Easy
05. Hungry
06. Cry For Freedom
07. Going Home Tonight
08. Wait
09. All The Fallen Men
10. Living On The Edge
11. Tell Me
12. When The Children Cry

Recording lineup:

Mike Tramp - Vocals
Marcus Nand - Guitars
Claus Langeskov - Bass
Alan Tschicaja - Drums
Sebastian Groset - Keyboard
Christoffer Stjerne - Harmonies

Produced by: Soren Andersen and Mike Tramp

Back in 2019, Tramp revealed in an interview that he had apologized to Vito Bratta for trying to resurrect his former band without his onetime songwriting partner and bandmate.

The Danish-born singer hasn't played with Bratta since WHITE LION performed its last concert in Boston in September 1991.

In the 32 years since WHITE LION broke up, Bratta's public profile has been virtually nonexistent, while Tramp has remained active, recording and touring as a solo artist and with the bands FREAK OF NATURE, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUZ and, more recently, BAND OF BROTHERS. Tramp also attempted to revive WHITE LION with the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride", featuring new members. Two years later, Tramp ceded ownership of the name WHITE LION to Bratta in an out-of-court settlement.

Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Tramp said that he and Vito are once again on speaking terms following his ill-fated attempt to bring back WHITE LION nearly a decade and a half ago.

"I have, over the past couple of years, been the one out there basically both admitting and apologizing that the only thing that I never planned to do in my career and wanted to do was go back and rehash a version of WHITE LION that had nothing to do with WHITE LION, nothing to do with the guys that played in the band," Mike said. "Mike Tramp's heart was not in it. It was just a moment of weakness, not believing enough in my solo albums. [You listen to] some guys saying, 'Hey, if you put a new WHITE LION together, you can play festivals and get much more money.' And then you fall for that and you engage in it and you go out there, and then you realize it's not what you wanna do. And then, of course, Vito did not want the name WHITE LION to be used without him being in the band. And it actually took a couple of years for me to really understand how much it meant to Vito. And when Vito one day told me in one of these conversations… First of all, he told me, 'Mike, I'm not against you. I just don't wanna turn YouTube on and see the title 'WHITE LION live in so and so,' and somebody doing 'When The Children Cry' solo and it's not me. WHITE LION was you and me, it was our band, we wrote the songs. That is the memories I want for the rest of my life.' And when he told me that, I had tears in my eyes and I totally understood it, because I had also gotten to that point that when we closed WHITE LION, we felt that this is where we wanted to stop it. There was something, going into the '90s, that didn't agree with the things we were looking at, and we wanted to somehow end it on a higher level than something that would not represent us in the future. But it just took many years to really understand it."

Asked if he understands why Vito doesn't want to play music professionally anymore, Mike said: "Yes, I do, because there are actually times when I also don't feel like doing it anymore. When all the magic around us, the stuff that made us fall in love with rock and roll — first of all, our heroes, then the industry, then the touring stuff — when all of that was really exposed that it was a two-faced kind of thing, that the people we thought loved us — and I'm not talking about the fans; I'm talking about the people that made money from us, and stuff like that — turned their back on us and stabbed us in the back, it really ripped us apart. And maybe it's just that I came from a different background than Vito, that I maybe was a little bit stronger or just of a different nature that I just fought back, but Vito just said, 'I just don't wanna deal with this.' And I understand now — I understand it from every conversation that I have with him."

Tramp also once again closed the door on a possible WHITE LION reunion, saying: "I can't be Mike Tramp 1988. I can't sing like that, and I'm not going up on stage and doing a half-assed job, which most of the bands out there are doing."

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Tramp will embark on the "Songs of White Lion" U.S. tour in May 2023 as well as participate in the the original "Rock Meets Classic" Tour in Germany this April.

Held Hostage with special guest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth) brings the "HEAT" with their Billboard hit (18 weeks on Billboard charts and counting) song “You Rock Our Way” – taken from their 2022 album Great American Rock. Order the album here.





“You Rock Our Way” is all about doing what you love and not being afraid to bring the rock that is deep down inside all of us. This epic song has changed the course of Held Hostage and opened them up to a whole new world of fans.




Held Hostage answered questions about the video, playing at the 2023 Metal Hall Of Fame, and future plans.





What is the band’s plan for their next release? 


“Held Hostage is targeting Memorial Day to release the band’s first live album. Following that, Held Hostage is planning on releasing our next studio record this fall of 2023. It will be a full-length record 12 songs total. It will be called Held Hostage - Rescue Me.”


What was it like playing the 2023 Metal Hall of Fame? 


“Playing the Metal Hall of Fame and watching such incredible bands/players such as Twisted Sister, Lou Gramm, Raven, Chris Impelliteri, and Doug Aldrich be inducted after we played live, was such an honor for us. Held Hostage was part of what can only be described as rock and roll History.”


Tell us about the video? 


“The video for our song ‘You Rock Our Way’ was one of the biggest hits off our Great American Rock Album. It is straight-ahead high-energy rock. It is a song that every time we play it revs up the crowd.”

IRON MAIDEN is trailing Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, SOUNDGARDEN, Warren Zevon and Willie Nelson in the fan vote for this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction class.

More than one million votes have already been cast since voting began. Now through April 28, fans can vote every day through the Hall Of Fame's web site. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a "fans' ballot" that will be tallied along with the other ballots to select the 2023 inductees.

As of earlier today, Cyndi Lauper received 113,870 votes, George Michael 112,298, SOUNDGARDEN 89,058, Warren Zevon 87,888, Willie Nelson 87,685 and IRON MAIDEN 82,528.

According to Rolling Stone, the top vote-getters will be announced in May and inducted in the fall.

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1998 or earlier. Eight of the nominees (Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, THE WHITE STRIPES and Warren Zevon) are on the ballot for the first time.

This is the fifth nomination for RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, the fourth for Kate Bush and THE SPINNERS, and the second for IRON MAIDEN and A TRIBE CALLED QUEST.

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

Less than four years ago, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said that he didn't care that his band had yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it had been eligible since 2004.

"I don't mind that we're not in things like that," he told Rolling Stone in an interview. "I don't think about things like that. It's very nice if people give you awards or accolades, but we didn't get into the business for that sort of thing. I'm certainly not going to lose sleep if we don't get any sort of award, not just that one, any award. I don't think we deserve to have this or that necessarily. With what we do, whatever comes of it is great. Whatever doesn't come of it is great, too."

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

MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson made headlines in 2018 when he referred to the Rock Hall as "an utter and complete load of bollocks" during a spoken-word gig in Australia, insisting that the Cleveland-based institution is "run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock and roll if it hit them in the face."

Bruce later told The Jerusalem Post that he was "so annoyed with that coverage because they took my statement out of context to make it seem like I was upset that we weren't in the Hall Of Fame.

"I'm really happy we're not there and I would never want to be there," he continued. "If we're ever inducted, I will refuse — they won't bloody be having my corpse in there.

"Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland," Bruce added. "It's a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it's dead. It's worse than horrible, it's vulgar."

Harris previously told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he wasn't concerned about whether IRON MAIDEN would eventually be inducted into the Rock Hall. "I don't really think about it, to be honest. I think awards are things that are nice to have when you get them, but it's not something you're really striving for — it's not what it's about it," he said. "It's never been about that. It's aways been about just trying to make good music and go out and play good live shows, and that's it, really. Hopefully people will appreciate it. It's probably nice when people give you awards — don't get me wrong; I think it's great — but it's not something that you would lose sleep over if you didn't get any.

"It's the way that I am," Harris added. "I don't know. Maybe the rest of the guys [in the band] might think differently to me, but that's the way I think. It's not that I don't care about [awards]. It's just… And it's not that they're not meaningful when you do get 'em — it's nice. But I certainly don't worry about it or anything like that. I think other people are the ones that make a bigger deal out of it than us, about whether we got one or not."

Having been eligible for induction for nearly two decades, IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest bands on the planet. Since the release of their self-titled debut album, the British heavy metal legends have released a further 16 full-length studio records, and sold over 100 million copies.

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

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.
Over 1 million ballots have been cast for the #RockHall2023 Fan Vote. Wanna see your favorite nominee in the top 5? Keep voting and spread the word! https://t.co/TjN3wayVYypic.twitter.com/YId7PWQWmu

— Rock Hall (@rockhall) February 7, 2023

Metallica’s 12th studio album, 72 Seasons, will arrive on April 14 on the band’s own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track album is the band’s first full-length collection of new material since 2016’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct.


The band have launched the pre-order for the limited transparent yellow cassette edition of the album, which includes an 8-panel j-card with lyrics. Pre-order the cassette here.


Speaking on the concept of the album title, James said: “72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is a reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.”




Pre-order the new album in multiple configurations here.





72 Seasons tracklisting:


"72 Seasons"
"Shadows Follow"
"Screaming Suicide"
"Sleepwalk My Life Away"
"You Must Burn!"
"Lux Æterna"
"Crown Of Barbed Wire"
"Chasing Light"
"If Darkness Had A Son"
"Too Far Gone?"
"Room Of Mirrors"
"Inamorata"


“Lux Æterna” video:





“Screaming Suicide” video:





Upcoming Metallica tour dates are listed below. M72 World Tour Enhanced Experience Package details via the following links:


Enhanced Experiences
I Disappear Tickets
Enhanced Experience FAQs





April
27 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena
29 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena


May
17 - Paris, France - Stade de France*
19 - Paris, France - Stade de France
6 - Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion
28 - Hambur, Germany - Volksparkstadion


June
16 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium**
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium


August
4 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
6 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
11 - Montreal, QC - Stade Olympique
13 - Montreal, QC - Stade Olympique
8 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium
20 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium
25 - Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium
27 - Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium


September
1 - Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium
3 - Glendale, AZ - State Farm Stadium


November
3 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center
5 - St. Louis, MO - The Dome at America’s Center
10 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field
12 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field


May
24 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion
26 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion


June
7 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken Stadium
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken Stadium


July
5 - Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy
7 - Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy
12 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
14 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano


August
2 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium
4 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium
9 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
11 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
16 - Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium
18 - Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium
23 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium
25 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium
30 - Seattle, WA - Lumen Field


September
1 - Seattle, WA - Lumen Field
20 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol***
22 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol
27 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol***
29 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol


Show 1 Support Europe: Architects & Mammoth WVH**
Show 2 Support Europe: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
* Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills play Show 1 in Paris, Architects & Mammoth WVH play Show 2 in Paris
** Volbeat replaces Architects on Show 1 in Gothenburg


Show 1 Support North America: Pantera & Mammoth WVH***
Show 2 Support North America: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
*** Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on show 1 both weekends in Mexico City





(Photo by Tim Saccenti)

Metal icons MEGADETH will perform an exclusive, one-off global livestream, "They Only Come Out At Night", from the legendary Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.

"They Only Come Out At Night" will be streamed worldwide and fully live on Monday, February 27 at 6 p.m. Tokyo time (JST).

Before the livestream commences, fans will be treated to an exclusive behind-the-scenes video capturing the band's trip through Japan, leading into their first-ever live performance at the Budokan where they will be performing classic tracks, as well as songs from their current album, "The Sick, The Dying...And The Dead!" The show will then be re-broadcast three times, so fans around the world can watch at a time suitable for them. Thereafter, the whole performance will be available to watch "on demand" for another 48 hours, as follows:

• Live Show: 6 p.m. JST / 9 a.m. GMT / 4 a.m. EST / 1 a.m. PST
• Rebroadcast #1: 7 p.m. GMT / 8 p.m. CET
• Rebroadcast #2: 8 p.m. EST
• Rebroadcast #3: 8 p.m. PST
• On demand opens: Monday, February 27 11:30 p.m. PST / 2:30 a.m. EST* / 7:30 a.m. GMT* (*Tuesday, February 28)
• On demand closes: Wednesday, March 1 at 11:30 p.m. PST / 2:30 a.m. EST* / 7:30 a.m. GMT* (*Thursday, March 2).

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

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

Exclusive livestream merchandise is available to pre-order with tickets, during the livestream, and during the on-demand period. Orders will begin shipping approximately four weeks after the show.

According to the MEGADETH fan page Megadeth Of Destruction, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman strongly insinuated that he will join the band on stage during the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit's concert at Budokan.

While appearing on the Japanese radio program "Next Guitar Hero Is..." on InterFM897, the 60-year-old Friedman — who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003 — said: "I can't give details. But we'll play together … I believe it will be a magical night."

If Friedman's performance with MEGADETH materializes, it will be his first appearance with the band since he exited the group in 2000.

Mustaine has seemingly been on good terms with Friedman in recent years, with the MEGADETH leader stating in a Cameo video (see below) that he had spoken with Marty as recently as this past New Year's Eve.

Three years ago, Friedman admitted that money was a major motivator for him when he was approached about taking part in a reunion of MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace" lineup.

Friedman had met with Mustaine and then-bassist David Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California to discuss the reunion, which would have seen him and drummer Nick Menza back in the mix.

Friedman opened up about his reasons for turning down the MEGADETH reunion in Mustaine's latest book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the iconic record "Rust In Peace".

"My main thing was I'd be happy to do it, but I'm not going to take less money than I'm already making to do it," Marty said in part.

"I'd been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.

"Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go," he said. "But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn't seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn't heard anything that they've done in a long time. I didn't know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn't like MEGADETH was on the tip of people's tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan."

According to Friedman, part of the reason he turned down the MEGADETH reunion is the fact that the group is largely seen as Mustaine's solo project, with members coming and going every couple of albums.

"Had it been more of a band situation and not such a one-man, Dave Mustaine-main-man party, I might have considered doing it for a little less," Marty said. "But, at the end of the day, MEGADETH is so much Mustaine because that's the way he engineered it. I didn't feel that kind of camaraderie, the four-man diamond, THE BEATLES, KISS, METALLICA. I felt like I would be going out there and tour and it was going to be Mustaine's big success. If I'm going to do that, I'm certainly not going to lose money to do that; I was doing great on my own in Japan."

Mustaine told Loudwire that he was put off by Friedman's financial demands when the topic of a "Rust In Peace" reunion was broached.

"Marty has a really successful career in Japan where he makes quite a lot of money," Dave said. "And this is the part where I thought it was a little weird, where he said he said that he has to pay all his team while he's gone instead of just himself. 'Cause I thought we'll pay you what you're making so that's switching horses in the middle of the river — it's no big deal unless you fall off. And then when we found out that he wanted to sell his merch, his this, his that, his this, his that, then he wanted this crazy amount of money and he wanted to fly first class everywhere. I said to our management, 'I can't deal with this.'"

In a 2016 interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Mustaine confirmed that MEGADETH didn't hold any rehearsals with Friedman while attempting a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

"Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?'" Dave said. 'So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese girl."
Excited to announce ‘They Only Come Out at Night’ - Live at Budokan!

This will be a Global Livestream Event from the legendary Budokan Arena in Tokyo on February 27, 2023 + on-demand for 2 days.

Get Livestream Tickets NOW at https://t.co/RZLlh59zlFpic.twitter.com/dVelipm89l

— Megadeth (@Megadeth) February 6, 2023



MARTY FRIEDMAN TOCARÁ JUNTO A MEGADETH EL PRÓXIMO 27 DE FEBRERO EN JAPÓN.

Hace unos meses, cuando adelantamos sobre la…

Posted by Megadeth of Destruction on Friday, January 20, 2023



Hoy, Dave subió un video en Cameo comentando que recientemente había hablado con Marty Friedman y dando a entender que lo saludó por Año Nuevo. Esto indicaría ¿buenas noticias?

A finales de agosto de 2022, Mustaine afirmó que Friedman aceptó la invitación para tocar junto a Megadeth, la próxima vez que la banda esté de gira en Japón. Posteriormente, los primeros días de septiembre, la productora UDO, confirmó dos conciertos de Megadeth en Japón (27 y 28 de febrero de 2023) y los boletos salieron a la venta, ese mismo mes.

Recientemente, la página web oficial de Megadeth, confirmó un tercer concierto en Tokio (Japón),para el 24 de febrero.

Lo curioso es que, Marty estará libre precisamente a finales de febrero de 2023, ya que, el 03 de marzo iniciará con su tour por Estados Unidos.

Posted by Megadeth of Destruction on Saturday, December 31, 2022
Thanks Marty. You helped in a big way. So @Megadeth and the @marty_friedman project, play Budokan in Tokyo. Sound fun? Haha! Love ya bud 🙂 https://t.co/0SzoFimmKc

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) February 13, 2017

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has released his solo cover of the Survivor classic, "Burning Heart". Check out the video below. 


"Burning Heart" is taken from the Rocky IV: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, reelased in 1985. 







Johansson recently shared his solo cover of TNT's 1987 classic, "10,000 Loves (In One)".

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee performed on December 17 at the Vatican's annual "Concerto Di Natale" as part of Pope Francis's Christmas celebrations at the Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome, Italy.

The event, which also included appearances by AKA7even, Cristina D'Avena, Darin, Fiorella Mannoia, Jimmy Sax and more, was aired New Year's Eve on Italian television.

Professionally filmed video of Lee's performance has now been uploaded to YouTube and can be seen below.

In late December, Amy shared a few photos from last year's "Concerto Di Natale", and she included the following message: "I am so incredibly honored to be a part of the Vatican's @concerto_di_natale. Still buzzing about the whole unforgettable experience, can't wait for you to see!

"My gorgeous dress was created by the legendary @valerjpobega . And we couldn't have done it without my all time favorite, absolute ROCKSTAR stylist @marjanmalakpour".

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Lee became involved with the concert after she and other musicians took part in a songwriting session last summer with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo, at Bocelli's estate in Tuscany.

The Vatican City has been hosting a Christmas concert every year since 1993. Organized mainly for charitable purposes, the event brings together internationally renowned music artists.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley played his first concert of 2023 this past Thursday (February 3) at the Paramount in Bristol, Tennessee. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Ace's setlist was as follows:

01. Parasite (KISS song)
02. Snow Blind
03. Speedin' Back To My Baby
04. Stranger In A Strange Land
05. Insane (FREHLEY'S COMET song)
06. Getaway (KISS song)
07. Rock Soldiers
08. Rocket Ride (KISS song)
09. Escape From The Island (KISS song)
10. Love Theme From Kiss (KISS song) (partially played)
11. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
12. Rip It Out
13. New York Groove (Russ Ballard cover) (with "God Of Thunder" intro)
14. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll (KISS song) (partially played while Ace was off stage)
15. Shock Me (KISS song)
16. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
17. Cold Gin / Black Diamond (KISS song)

Encore:

18. Deuce (KISS song)

As previously reported, Ace is putting the finishing touches on his new solo album for a tentative early 2023 release.

The former KISS member offered an update on the LP's recording progress in late November while sharing a list on social media of his "Best 10 Sci-Fi Movies Released Up Until 1960". At the end of the message, he wrote: "My New Studio Record is nearing its completion! Hopefully it will be out Spring-Summer 2023!!!"

Back in November 2021, Ace said that he had collaborated with his longtime friend Peppy Castro on "some heavy songs."

Peppy reportedly taught Frehley how to play guitar and previously collaborated with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons as a songwriter and performed on Frehley's and KISS frontman Paul Stanley's solo records.

In December 2020, Frehley told Talking Metal Live that he would start recording his next all-original album the following year. The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne. At the time, he said that had "been writing all along. Plus, I have tracks that I've already recorded that I have to revisit and decide whether they have a chance to make it on my new studio record — [if they] have to be rewritten or [they're] just good the way they are," he explained. "And I've got people sending me song ideas constantly… So, little by little, it's an ongoing process, and it evolves as it goes."

Earlier in 2020, Frehley told Canada's iHeart Radio that he had "only written about three songs" for his next LP, and he added they were "not finished." He said: "Now that I'm [living] on the East Coast [after moving to New Jersey from Southern California], my engineer only lives an hour from me, Alex Salzman, who worked with me extensively on this last record, and he played a lot of bass guitar as well, So it's gonna be even easier, 'Origins Vol. 3' and the next [original] record."

Frehley's latest release was "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.

"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.

DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to Ronnie James Dio and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager Wendy, played at a private birthday party last night (Saturday, February 4) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of Jessica Chase).

Joining former DIO members Scott Warren (keyboards) and Simon Wright (drums) for the performance were singers Terry Ilous (XYZ, GREAT WHITE),Dyna Shirasaki (THUNDHERSTRUCK) and Patrick Stone, guitarist Ira Black (BULLETBOYS, VIO-LENCE),and bassists Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Marty O'Brien (DAUGHTRY, LITA FORD).

DIO DISCIPLES is made up of former members of DIO, along with a rotating lineup of vocalists, including ex-JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.

Billed as a "celebration of the music and legacy of the greatest singer in the world, Ronnie James Dio," DIO DISCIPLES have been playing Ronnie's music on tour in a bid to keep their old bandmate's memory alive.

Less than three years ago, Wright told The Metal Voice that the proposed DIO DISCIPLES debut album had been put "on hold" so that he and his bandmates could focus on the "Dio Returns" tour. At the time, Simon said that "about four or five demos" had been laid down of "different songs" that he and former DIO guitarist Craig Goldy had been working on. As for the material's musical direction, Wright said: "It's difficult to pin it down, because some of [the tracks] are a little different. Still a little bit of [the] DIO [sound], the way Ronnie would write, obviously, 'cause that's rubbed off on Craig, and I hear things too. But at the moment, it's a little bit eclectic. So that was gonna be one thing we were gonna approach. We need to consolidate it and make it into a DIO DISCIPLES sound. So that was a conversation we were having: 'We need to figure out where we're going with this.' At the moment, it's a bit all over the place. But they sound good. They're great ideas."

Several years ago, Goldy revealed DIO DISCIPLES were planning to start work on a project of original material, and they debuted three of the new songs during their May 2016 appearance at the "Ride For Ronnie" motorcycle rally and concert in Encino.

Craig previously told "Talking Metal" that he has been collaborating with fellow former DIO member Jeff Pilson on the material for the debut DIO DISCIPLES album.

Goldy joined DIO during the "Sacred Heart" tour in 1986 after original guitarist Vivian Campbell was fired from the band following a contentious business disagreement with the singer and Ronnie's management.

Pilson is best known for playing bass with DOKKEN and FOREIGNER, but he also toured with DIO in the 1990s and performed on three of the group's albums — "Strange Highways" (1993),"Angry Machines" (1996) and the group's tenth and final studio release, "Master Of The Moon" (2004).

Owens told Canada's The Metal Voice about DIO DISCIPLES' forthcoming LP: "We're not making a DIO record. We couldn't do that. The best thing is, we've all done different types of records, but there's always some similarity to the classic metal and classic rock format, because we have this in us. But we still always move forward a little bit. But that's what it's gonna be. JUDAS PRIEST, DIO, AC/DC — all these influences are in us, and they're not gonna leave us. It's just us writing songs. It's not us writing songs to sound like something; it's us going in and writing songs."

On February 1, NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen joined Swedish metallers EVERGREY aboard this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise to perform the song "In Orbit". Fan-filmed video of her appearance can be seen below (video by Jay Klein).

Round 11 of 70000 Tons Of Metal sailed from Miami, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas and back from January 30 to February 3 on board the Freedom Of The Seas.

The studio version of "In Orbit", which also included an appearance by Jansen, originally appeared on EVERGREY's 2016 album "The Storm Within".

Regarding how Floor came to be involved with the track, EVERGREY frontman/founder Tom S. Englund previously said: "That was actually my wife [Carina] thinking for me. Floor is a personal friend and major EVERGREY fan, so it was her, over a glass of wine, who asked her if she wanted to do the song."

Englund told Background Magazine about the collaboration: "It's a very dynamic duet indeed. So, we had a woman in EVERGREY and that was really weird. It felt like I was cheating on my wife, you know."

EVERGREY is continuing to tour in support of its thirteenth studio album, "A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)", which came out last May via Napalm Records.

Less than a year ago, Englund spoke to Invisible Oranges about EVERGREY's decision to release "A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)" so soon after "Escape Of The Phoenix", which arrived in February 2021. He said: "It's an album that we wrote straight after releasing the other one, which is extremely fast for us. Usually, it's two to three years in between albums. But we figured we wouldn't be able to play live in Europe for a long while [due to the pandemic] and that was a smart decision. It made us focus on the creative side of things and to just get another album out there because we had it within us. Instead of waiting two years, just because we released an album, and then fans would be starving for us, hopefully. This is a way for us to promote two albums at the same time."

Regarding the songwriting process for "A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)", Englund said: "We had two to 300 song ideas lying in the computer that we never use, because we have figured out that the music we write needs to be sort of contemporary for us. The music we write needs to be from the time period we are writing it. We can't pick up old stuff and make it work. It can be great stuff, but it doesn't feel fun. It needs to be fresh. We didn't have anything lying around that we used for this album, we just wrote all new stuff. So the day after 'Escape Of The Phoenix' came out, we actually had a band meeting and we came to the conclusion that we would not be able to play live for a good while. So we just asked each other if we had it within us to write another one."



Floor Jansen In Orbit with us at 70000tons

Evergrey thanks: ©Jay Klein for sending the videos, await your ID for credits.

@evergreyofficial #floor_jansen_official @nightwish @70000tons @napalmrecordsofficial #70000tonsofmetal #floorjansen #evergrey #evergreyofficial #nighwish #inorbit Tom Englund Jonas Ekdahl (Official) Johan Niemann Tom S Englund Henrik Danhage Rikard Zander
📷 Jay Power

Posted by Evergrey on Friday, February 3, 2023

NIRVANA and HEART's Ann and Nancy Wilson were honored with the Recording Academy's 2023 lifetime achievement award at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday (February 4). Other honorees included Bobby McFerrin, Ma Rainey, Nile Rodgers and Slick Rick.

The awards were presented at the Special Merit Awards ceremony, which returned for the first time since 2020 during Grammy Week.

The lifetime achievement award is presented by vote of the Recording Academy's national trustees to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.

In his acceptance speech, NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic said: "And they said that Kurt [Cobain, NIRVANA frontman] was witty or maybe he was a smartass. And he said, 'Teenage angst has paid off well.' Well, it has. I do fan mail — old-fashioned fan mail — and I get letters from around the world, like [from] NIRVANA fans. Like, just all around the world. A lot of young people. There's a new generation of NIRVANA fans and I'm just very grateful for that."

Formed in 1987 by Cobain and Novoselic, NIRVANA emerged from the Pacific Northwest onto the world stage with the 1989 release of its debut album "Bleach". Two years later, NIRVANA's sophomore album "Nevermind" would spark a seismic shift in global youth culture. Rising to No. 1 worldwide and featuring Grammy Hall Of Fame single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Nevermind"'s impact would transform Cobain, Novoselic and Dave Grohl into one of the most successful and influential musical entities of all time. NIRVANA's third and ultimately final studio album, "In Utero", was released in 1993, completing an indelible run that returned rock 'n' roll integrity and passion to the top of the charts. With a 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and more than 75 million records sold, NIRVANA continues to be a singular inspiration for generations of fans and musicians the world over.

Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson were recognized as lifetime achievement award honorees for their creative work with the rock band HEART. HEART was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, sold over 35 million records, garnered four Grammy Award nominations, landed 10 Top 10 albums, received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, had several No. 1 hits, and achieved "the longest span of top 10 albums on the Billboard charts by a female-led band." HEART's influence can be palpably felt everywhere from rock and heavy metal to hip-hop and pop. As a result, their music resonates in nearly every corner of pop culture.

The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the Grammy Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the Grammy Awards — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

Modern symphonic metal icons KAMELOT performed their new single, "One More Flag In The Ground", live for the first time during their February 2 set aboard this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Round 11 of 70000 Tons Of Metal sailed from Miami, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas and back from January 30 to February 3 on board the Freedom Of The Seas.

"One More Flag In The Ground" is taken from KAMELOT's first full-length album in five years, "The Awakening", which will arrive on March 17 via Napalm Records.

Having reigned supreme with the release of internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles such as "The Fourth Legacy" (1999),"The Black Halo" (2005),"Silverthorn" (2012),"Haven" (2015) and most recently 2018's acclaimed "The Shadow Theory", "The Awakening" enters the KAMELOT legacy as their most massive and diverse offering yet — mixing symphonic, gothic, melodic, progressive and power metal styles while yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band's history.

KAMELOT vocalist Tommy Karevik offers: "The main focus on this video and song was to have a metaphor for the struggles of fighting disease or illness, whether it being physical or mental. Each step of healing and recovery is another flag in the ground. With every little step, one more victory won…"

KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood says: "With 'The Awakening', we have one of our most diverse albums in years. We've fused elements from progressive, power and gothic metal to symphonic and melodic metal on this one. Working with incredible guest artists from around the music industry and having producer Sascha Paeth and Jacob Hansen mixing gave us another step up on overall sound. This album offers everything to KAMELOT fans and also reaches beyond borders to new metal and hard rock legions."

KAMELOT is one of few bands in the symphonic genre to fully embrace the dark, but of course, there can be no light without it. Inspiring, engaging lyrical themes of determination, strength, overcoming personal battles and growth are abound on "The Awakening", provoked by extreme societal shifts and the overwhelming realization that we have such a brief time to be true to ourselves and live life to its fullest.

With crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios, KAMELOT's score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions from the likes of Melissa Bonny (AD INFINITUM) and renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and Grammy-nominated, soundtrack-featured cellist Tina Guo.

Showcasing the incomparable, stage-seasoned vocal acrobatics of Karevik and increasingly airtight, renowned technical teamwork of Youngblood, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Oliver Palotai and bassist Sean Tibbetts, "The Awakening" embraces enlivening themes that every listener can relate to. KAMELOT's intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionality than ever on this inspiring, anticipated addition to the KAMELOT legacy.

Tracks honoring KAMELOT trademarks like cinematic "The Great Divide" and darkly hopeful eternal farewell to a loved one, "Eventide", prove that while "The Awakening" stays true to the aural foundations fans have embraced for decades, equally addictive outputs like "One More Flag In The Ground" — a radio-ready anthem about overcoming seemingly unbeatable illness and the mental challenges we all face, featuring additional vocal layers from Juno Award-winning musician and producer Brian Howes — showcase a band devoid of sonic stagnancy. Profound compositions are plentiful, like stage-ready, operatic "Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)", which features a hair-raising dual solo from Youngblood and Guo, as well as epic, synth-laden "New Babylon", elevated by the dynamic vocal attack of Karevik and Bonny. Further balancing darkness with light, grooving, heartfelt "NightSky" and ode to conquering one's adversities "My Pantheon (Forevermore)" boast some of the album's heaviest moments and most complex guitar solos, while pensive hymns such as Celtic-infused "Midsummer's Eve" and ebbing-and-flowing hymn of cherished memories "Willow" provide necessary balance to an album fittingly primed for spectacular performances to come.

"The Awakening" track listing:

01. Overture (Intro)
02. The Great Divide
03. Eventide
04. One More Flag In The Ground
05. Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)
06. Midsummer's Eve
07. Bloodmoon
08. Nightsky
09. The Looking Glass
10. New Babylon
11. Willow
12. My Pantheon (Forevermore)
13. Ephemera (Outro)

THE COVERUPS, the side project of GREEN DAY's Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, performed this past Thursday (February 2) at the Retro Junkie in Walnut Creek, California. Video of the concert can be seen below.

Started in 2018 as a way to play cover songs, the group, which also features GREEN DAY touring guitarist Jason White, the band's audio engineer Chris Dugan, and guitar and bass tech/tour manager Bill Schneider, performed renditions of MÖTLEY CRÜE's "Live Wire" and CHEAP TRICK's "Surrender" during its set.

THE COVERUPS' live shows have also been known to include covers of David Bowie, NIRVANA, RAMONES, THE CURE, THE HEARTBREAKERS and the MISFITS.

Formed in 1986 in Berkeley, California, GREEN DAY is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, with more than 70 million records sold worldwide and 10 billion cumulative audio/visual streams. Their 1994 breakout album "Dookie", which sold over 10 million and achieved diamond status, is widely credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock, catapulting a career-long run of No. 1 hit singles. Entertainment Weekly calls GREEN DAY "the most influential band of their generation," while Rolling Stone attests, "GREEN DAY have inspired more young bands to start than any act this side of KISS, and that doesn't seem to be changing."

In 2004, GREEN DAY released the rock opera "American Idiot" which captured the nation’s attention, selling more than seven million copies in the U.S. alone and taking home the Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". Mojo declared, "It's exhilarating stuff, the kind of record that sets new parameters as to what is possible from a punk rock'n'roll band in the 21st century." In 2010, a stage adaptation of "American Idiot" debuted on Broadway to critical and commercial acclaim.

Released in 2020, GREEN DAY's thirteenth studio album "Father Of All Motherfuckers" (Reprise/Warner Records) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Album Sales chart and No. 1 in both the U.K. and Australia. Pitchfork declared, "GREEN DAY's most fetching and youthful songs in ages. The trio sounds reinvigorated, more like hungry newcomers staking their claim."

The Melissa CastorYouTube channel has uploaded video of the first-ever U.S. performance of the Japanese supergroup THE LAST ROCKSTARS, which took place Friday night (February 3) at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Check out the clips below.

The New York City show took place more than a month after THE LAST ROCKSTARS released its debut single, "The Last Rockstars (Paris Mix)". The track was made available via the quartet's global distribution deal with Ingrooves, which is part of Universal Music Group's Virgin Music Group.

THE LAST ROCKSTARS — which consists of Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo and Miyavi, four major forces from Japan's rock scene — will stage further live performances on February 4 at Hammerstein Ballroom and February 10 at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

Two song teaser videos have been released, one for "The Last Rockstars" (lyrics by Yoshiki, composed by Yoshiki) and the other for "Psycho Love" (lyrics by Yoshiki/Hyde, composed by Hyde).

"We've come together to start this challenge for the world out of Japan," Yoshiki said.

"This may be our last chance at this challenge," Sugizo said. "We want to put what's left of our lives on the line to make the world rock with our music."

Yoshiki has several monumental accomplishments under his belt both as the leader of X JAPAN and as an accomplished solo artist. He has been named "one of the most influential musicians and composers in Japanese history" by Consequence Of Sound and has composed Hollywood film soundtracks, a concerto for the Emperor of Japan, and the official theme song for the Golden Globe Awards. He has performed at the world's greatest stages, including Madison Square Garden, Wembley Arena, Coachella music festival, and Carnegie Hall. In addition to his music, Yoshiki has been internationally recognized for his philanthropy, and was awarded a Medal Of Honor by the Japanese government.

Hyde is internationally recognized as the vocalist for L'ARC-EN-CIEL, VAMPS and as a successful solo artist. L'ARC-EN-CIEL has sold over 40 million albums worldwide, headlined Madison Square Garden, and were also the first rock band to headline Japan National Stadium. Hyde has also had great success touring internationally as a solo artist.

Sugizo has worked and performed globally as a member of LUNA SEA, X JAPAN, and U.K.'s JUNO REACTOR, a group credited with creating psychedelic trance. As a solo artist he has been pursuing his unique style of electronic music while creating for multiple movie and theater soundtracks.

Miyavi "The Samurai Guitarist" has enthralled the world with his transcendent unconventional "slap style" of playing his guitar, which has taken him around the world nine times to tour in over 30 countries. In 2014 he made his debut as a Hollywood actor in "Unbroken". He was the first Japanese public figure to be featured in Gucci's global campaign, and has been appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNCHR, providing support for refugees.

With their illustrious experience in Japan's most influential rock bands, remarkable sales records individually, and hit collaborations with global artists, these four musicians coming together is a monumental occurrence. THE LAST ROCKSTARS are here to usher in a new legendary era of rock.

The RocknForever1 YouTube channel has uploaded video of KINGDOM COME's February 3 concert at Count's Vamp'd in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check out the clips below.

The KINGDOM COME lineup for the Vegas show included classic members Rick Steier (guitar) Danny Stag (guitar) and Johnny B. Frank (bass),along with singer Keith St. John, who joined the band in 2018 as the replacement for original frontman Lenny Wolf, and drummer Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER),who is filling in for James Kottak.

Earlier this month. St. John spoke to Chris Akin Presents about Kottak's absence from some of the group's recent shows. He said: "James Kottak has had some health situations over the last year, and they've really been affecting his playing. Everybody in the band really wanted him to be able to continue and play, but he's just gotta sort some things out and wait for some stuff in his body to heal before he has the strength to play the songs [properly]."

Asked if there is any chance of the current lineup of KINGDOM COME recording and releasing new music in the not-too-distant future, Keith said: "It's gone back and forth. Rick Steier and I have probably put more material together than any other combination 'cause we both live in L.A. And we were working with James too, but James kind of… Long story short, he's back down in Louisville, Kentucky, which is his hometown, and he's trying to get… He's got some broken bones and all kinds of stuff going on that… He had an accident and he's just trying to get himself back together before he comes back and tries to get back in the fold.

"The other guys, Danny Stag and Johnny B. Frank, they live in different cities — one's in Jacksonville, one's in Pittsburgh — and they're writing and they're sending over ideas all the time," he continued. "I mean, we have communication back and forth. So if we can put some of this stuff together and actually get the whole band in the studio for a couple of weeks or whatnot, I think we can come out of it with an album. I'm hoping."

Last month, James said that he "jacked" his left hip up last fall when he "tripped and fell on the pavement." The 60-year-old musician discussed his latest medical setback in an interview with "Rimshots With Sean". Confirming that he was speaking from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was born and lived until 1987, Kottak said: "I came over here [to Louisville], actually, at the very end of October [of 2022]. I was just coming to chill out and hang out with my brother and sister. I was gonna stay for a couple of weeks. But I tripped and fell and really jacked my left hip up. I couldn't believe it. I'd never broken anything in my life. So I ended up going to the hospital and I ended up staying at the hospital for five, six days. So after that, I came over here to my sister's house and I've been here since. And I've really been enjoying it. But I've been back to the doctor, like, three or four times, and they're, like, 'You know, it's probably not a good idea to travel.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' So I've just been here and been going back to my appointments. I had one yesterday. And things on the up and up."

Regarding how he is spending his time while recovering from his latest injury, Kottak said: "One of my endless tasks is staying in shape and exercising and that sort of thing. Right now I'm just doing a lot of stretching. And I'm just now able to walk about — probably do about eight hundred steps a day. And that may sound like a lot, but I'm normally used to doing a whole lot more. So I'm here in Louisville, like I said, and I'm just really laying low and enjoying the time over here at my sister's house. And my brother's hanging out. And I've got all kinds of friends here. But like I said, it's been really kind of quiet here. But once I get back to L.A., there's things planned and there's always something popping up… Now we're past the New Year. Somebody will call about this or that. And then we're also planning KINGDOM COME shows and stuff."

He continued: "Man, that COVID thing came, and for the year 2020, KINGDOM COME — we had about 40, 45 shows booked, and everything got wiped out, man, even the European stuff, 'cause we were going to Germany and all over the place, even Japan. Everything, because of that COVID thing, got totally postponed. And a lot of the stuff that was postponed to 2021 and even 2022 never happened, 'cause a lot of places shut down, a lot of promoters went out of business. It really hurt lots of people. So we're just kind of picking up now where we left off and [talking to] our agent and trying to book some shows."

James went on to say that he is "doing great" and is very optimistic about his recovery. "Another two weeks and I'll be almost back to normal," he predicted. "And that's not what they said. They go, 'Look, give it three to six months.' I'm, like, 'No, I'll be good after two months.' … I'll be up and running here in no time. This is probably the worst accident I've ever had. I just tripped and fell on the pavement. And I didn't feel like anything bad happened."

In December, St. John told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that "James has had some health issues in this last — [it's] going on for about two years, I would say, and creeping up. And now he's on a break for a little while until he gets recouped and recovered from everything. And my good friend who plays in '[Raiding The] Rock Vault' with me out here, Blas Elias, has stepped in — Blas Elias from SLAUGHTER; he stepped in to take over the drums for now."

KINGDOM COME played its first two shows with Elias in September in Texas.

Six months ago, Kottak announced that he wouldn't play with his KINGDOM COME bandmates at their concerts in Texas. In the early hours of August 21, 2022, James took to his Twitter to write: "I will not be at the Kingdom Come Plano or San Antonio shows so don't waste your time thanks jams k [sic]".

Last June, KINGDOM COME's appearance at Sweden Rock Festival was described by the popular Swedish site Rocknytt as the event's "biggest fuckup." Writer Peter Johansson singled out Kottak, saying that the drummer played "really badly, sluggishly" and at times failed to keep the tempo "worryingly throughout the concert". At the end of the show, Kottak "stumbled to the edge of the stage to bow with his bandmates," according to Rocknytt.

Also critical of KINGDOM COME's performance was renowned Swedish music journalist and guitar player Janne Stark, who took to his Facebook page to share a photo of the gig and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "I've never seen a drummer fall asleep on stage before but James Kottak is pretty damn close. Drunk? He slows down every song to half tempo. KINGDOM COME, sorry guys but this is SHIT!"

Kottak publicly discussed KINGDOM COME's performance at Sweden Rock for the first time in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" conducted just days after the concert. Regarding what caused the show to fall short of expectations, James said: "I wanna say about eight or nine days ago, maybe 10 days ago, in the middle of the night, like four o'clock in the morning, I was in a dead sleep and I just rolled off the bed and I cracked three ribs on my left side. And I went to my chiropractor guy and he says, 'Oh, you have hairline fractures.' And I'm, like, 'Oh, great.' And dude, it's just been non-stop pain. It's not just my ribs; it's head to toe. That's why things were a little bit slower. 'Cause I took ibuprofen and the usual, Aleve or whatever, but, man, it was an uphill battle from the time we started. And it was just — I mean, not pain; I'm talking pain-pain, big-time stuff. That's no excuse, because the show must go on. But, yeah, I was a little slower than usual. But also we [usually] have a click track, of course, 'cause we might have a little bit of playback. Something was up with that, so we were flying solo… And [when] you don't have it, you go, 'Oh-oh. Okay. We'll do this.' It was just an off day, and there's nothing you can do about it."

According to James, there was "definitely no drinking" involved prior to the KINGDOM COME mishap at Sweden Rock. "Because that with the medication, it doesn't go good together," he explained. "And it was just an off day, man. I did everything to [make it better] — tons of tea, this and that, and all the usual things that I do — but, man, it was just too soon after falling that we went to play this gig. But it's Sweden Rock, and you don't wanna bail out on that."

Asked if alcohol contributed to him falling out of bed prior to the Sweden Rock performance, Kottak said: "I always sleep on the left side of the bed, and I just somehow, in my sleep, rolled off the bed and landed on my left side. I mean, that's really it. I wasn't drinking — nothing like that. Yeah, I have a few white wines here and there, but nothing like that. I just rolled off the bed. And that's the first time in my life that's ever happened where I actually fell off. I woke up and saw stars. It took me 15 minutes to get off the floor. These things happen sometimes, and there's nothing you can do. With SCORPIONS, going up my riser to get to my drums, there were, like, 14 steps, and I fell down those stairs at least five times, if not six times. Because I was like a dummy — I was always spitting this water. And I'd finish a song and I'd come down not thinking, and, just, 'Whoop', right on my ass."

James also denied that his battle with alcoholism was the primary reason he was fired from the SCORPIONS in 2016. He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

"I hate to say it, but Blabbermouth's kind of been the worst James basher," Kottak said. "They always say — any article about SCORPIONS, they say, 'Yeah, ever since James Kottak was released for alcohol abuse.' So I e-mailed them one day and said, 'Man, stop saying that.' We parted ways. It wasn't just from alcohol, dude. We went through five years of negotiations, 'cause the manager and tour manager both died within six months of each other. Then the band decided to self-manage, which is cool. But I'll tell you what, man — that's when it was a super-bumpy road and we were just not on the same page anymore. And that happens with bands."

Five years ago, SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", the guitarist said: "James was a real good friend — and he still is — but we couldn't continue with him. We gave him all the chances, and 10 more. And it was something that developed over the years — the drinking habit. It came in waves — sometimes it was good for four weeks, and then [there] was drama, and if you know him, you know what that's like. Then if it affects the show, you have to go, 'Hmmm…' Because our drum riser goes up 21 feet, or 24 feet sometimes, if the venue allows it, and the production manager, or stage manager, goes, 'I can't have him go up there. It's too risky.' If you can't really walk down the stairs straight, you can't have that. So that affects your intro of the show, and that's not good — it's not professional."

He continued: "We were helping him — we were sending him to [the island of] Antigua [to Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center], and we paid for it, and we did everything we could, because we are extremely loyal. It's always hard if you work with somebody for almost 20 years to say, 'Okay, you've gotta go.' We'd rather do the opposite and try to keep him and help him. But we reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it. After three months or four months even — they gave him an extra month in Antigua, the rehab — he'd come home, we'd start again, and you can't even talk to him. So we had to make that decision. We had Mikkey on the road, so [James] didn't notice. So I rehearsed with [Mikkey] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] in the afternoon, just a backup; that was the original plan. But then there was no way we could continue with James, so we started with Mikkey."

Three years ago, Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996, told the SCORPIONS official fan club Crazyscorps about the circumstances that led to his departure from the legendary German hard rock band: "I always liked a drink here and there. And then I always also take a pain medication called Aleve. It's what all the baseball players take, all the footballers, and it works like a charm. You take those of those and you don't feel anything. But on top of that, I'm a rock drummer in a rock band, and you've got the green light to drink.

"From 2008 to 2011, I didn't drink," he explained. "I just woke up one day and said, 'I just don't wanna drink anymore.' I didn't go to rehab; I didn't do any of that stuff. I just didn't wanna drink anymore.

"If you have any knowledge of A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] or any type of program or rehab, it only lasts so long and then you have what we call in recovery a relapse. I would go through these phases of a year or maybe two years of no drinking, and then you gradually…

"SCORPIONS, we play our show, we go back to the hotel, [and] 45 minutes later, we're all downstairs having dinner," he continued. "And everything's just the right price — free. All these flights back and forth from Europe, from L.A. — I was just flying constantly. Which I'm not complaining about, but it's always business or first class, and once again, all the booze is at the right price. I'm going, 'I've got the next two days off. I might as well have a drink.' And that's what triggered me to start drinking again sometimes.

"It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."

On January 30, German thrash metal veterans KREATOR played a very special set aboard this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise consisting of only songs from the band's first five albums: "Endless Pain" (1985),"Pleasure To Kill" (1986),"Terrible Certainty" (1987),"Extreme Aggression" (1989) and "Coma Of Souls" (1990). Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

Round 11 of 70000 Tons Of Metal sailed from Miami, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas and back from January 30 to February 3 on board the Freedom Of The Seas.

KREATOR's setlist was as follows:

01. Choir Of The Damned (intro)
02. Ripping Corpse
03. Extreme Aggression
04. Riot Of Violence
05. Terrible Certainty
06. Endless Pain
07. Awakening Of The Gods (partial)
08. People Of The Lie
09. Betrayer
10. The Pestilence
11. Some Pain Will Last
12. When The Sun Burns Red
13. Under The Guillotine
14. Terror Zone
15. Tormentor

On January 26, KREATOR tweeted out a photo of a setlist and wrote in the accompanying message: "@70000tons ! We have a VERY special setlist ready for you! KREATOR's 85-90 era only! Maybe if you like it enough we'll make it a habit!"

As previously reported, KREATOR will join forces with Brazilian/American metal legends SEPULTURA for a North American co-headline tour, "Klash Of The Titans", in May and June of 2023. Support on the trek will come from DEATH ANGEL and SPIRITWORLD.

KREATOR's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", was released in June 2022. The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marks KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.
@70000tons! We have a VERY special setlist ready for you! Kreator’s 85-90 era only! Maybe if you like it enough we’ll make it a habit! pic.twitter.com/zlhAqiy9YJ

— Kreator (@kreator) January 26, 2023


Choir Of The Damned
Ripping Corpse
Extreme Aggression
Riot Of Violence
Terrible Certainty
People Of The Lie
Endless Pain
Awakening Of The Gods
Betrayer
The Pestilence
Some Pain Will Last
When The Sun Burns Red
Under The Guillotine
Terror Zone
Tormentor

— Kreator (@kreator) January 26, 2023

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY is working on material for the follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" album. Earlier today, the band shared a short video of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan playing in the studio with drummer Stanton Moore and included the following caption: "Tune writing sessions before the Spring UK/Euro Tour!!"

Last November, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY bassist/vocalist Mike Dean confirmed to MetalSucks that Moore, who previously appeared on the band's 2005's "In The Arms Of God" LP, will appear on the upcoming effort.

"History repeats itself all these years later," Dean said. "Stanton played on 'In The Arms Of God', and I think he's going to be working with us again for the next record. Having him aboard, I think you need to get a little nerdy to describe it because Stanton has got his own particular way that he wants to play. He wants to play kick drums in his jazzy way and likes to have the drums heads up front, so it's more of a traditional-sounding thing. And all of Stanton's fills are very second-line sounding, and he has these little phrases that are unique to him."

When asked if Stanton will join CORROSION OF CONFORMITY as a permanent replacement for Reed Mullin, who died in January 2020, Dean said: "Stanton is a different animal than Reed — we learned that back when we did 'In The Arms Of God' — and he brings an entirely new dynamic to the band. Stanton will take these straight, New Orleans-influenced, second-line things and throw them into a metal song; there's no stopping it. If you've seen Stanton Moore with GALACTIC, you'll know what I'm talking about. He's got his take, man. He's a character. But this isn't like Stanton joining the band per se, and I'm not sure that he would come out on the road and play with us because he's busy. It's more that Stanton is a good friend of ours, and we love working with him when we can when our schedules all sync up. Plus, Pepper and Stanton have known each other since they were little. It felt right to do another album with him because we loved what he did on 'In The Arms Of God', and we wanted to make this first record after Reed passed special. So, stay tuned, and we'll see how it all comes out."

Last October, Keenan told Guitar World that he still loves "No Cross No Crown". "It was a really fun experience to do and the last thing we did with Reed, unfortunately. So, it holds a special place in my heart. We're very happy with it."

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside guitarist Woody Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

Asked how Reed's passing affected him and the rest of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, Pepper told Guitar World: "We lost our left arm. It was very hard to find a drummer. We have John Green [on tour with us], who is fantastic, but you just can't replace people like that. Other people have gone through it, too — but it's not easy. You spend decades with a person writing, and you don't even have to look at them; it just comes out. This was the first time we had to regroup in a long time and try to do it with a different drummer. We've got that figured out, so now we're getting ready to focus on that."

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

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Power metal legend and former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki has issued the following statement regarding his future activities, which include releasing an acoustic album with acclaimed vocalist Alessandro Conti (Twilight Force, Trick Or Treat), a tour in support of this album, and reissuing his three solo albums.


Tolkki: "I have gone away from all the record companies and music publishers and also bypassed a lot of concert promoters as well. I am not in any connection to any of those anymore, and I am proud to say that today I own all rights to my three solo albums: Classical Variations And Other Themes, Hymn To Life, and Saana - Warrior Of Light pt1. I have taken these out from the streaming services, and in the upcoming months I will release them again as remastered 24 bit versions with some cool bonus stuff.


All this only from my website tolkki.art.




After completing a very successful Latin America tour in October 2022, I really started to think about things very carefully. The friendship and camaraderie with Alessandro Conti, Alex Landenburg (Kamelot, Cyhra) and Jari Kainulainen (ex-Stratovarius) was something very special for me. We became really close and I don’t remember ever having so much fun and laughs than on that tour.


All this positivity gained, I made a plan for the years 2023-2025. I am now heading for an acoustic tour in Latin America with Alessandro Conti starting in Mexico City on 1st of March 2023. I hope to see you all there! We have an amazing musical set of songs for you! 


With this in mind, I am about to release a new acoustic album called Renaissance Acoustica. It is a collection of songs I composed for Stratovarius. The versions are not always following the originals, we have in fact, created something quite new. It will also have some bonus tracks from Hymn To Life and Classical Variations And Other Themes.


I have self-financed this album from the money I made from the last tour. I have worked very hard to make it an enjoyable experience and I do hope you all like it as much as we do. The album is available from my website exclusively and the release date is February 13th. It is available as high quality 24 bit wav files that you can download to your devices (phones, laptops, and computers).





To be able to listen to this album, I am utilizing a system called 'Pay What You Want'. It really is exactly what it says: you decide what you want to pay for this and then you complete your purchase and you will be taken to a special place to download the album including the artwork and bonus material.


I do want to say that all the income from this goes directly to me. There is no record company in between. What you want to pay is entirely up to you. I hope you will able to support me and my music in the years to come in this way. All your help is greatly appreciated.


I am very proud of my independence and I am looking forward to the future very much. Thank you for all your amazing support in the last 30 years and I hope many more years to come."





Photo by Omar Munguia

In December 2022, Apocalyptica released their single, "Rise Again", featuring Epica vocalist, Simone Simons. The clip below features Simons performing the song with Apocalyptica in Manchester, UK on The Epic Apocalypse Tour on February 3rd. It is only the second time they have performed the song together live.





 







 


Apocalyptica issued the following statement when the single was released last year:


"Surprise! We just dropped 'Rise Again' our 'new' song with Epica's incredible frontwoman, Simone Simons! Why is 'new' in quotes you ask? Because this song features Simone singing over "Rise", a track from Cell-0!


Eicca says: "It was so great to make 'Rise Again' with Simone Simons! When we were putting the Epic Apocalypse-tour together we were thinking of making this collaboration with Epica even deeper by releasing a song together. 'Rise' from Cell-0 album had the beauty and feel which we felt could fit perfectly for Simone’s unique voice. We are so happy for the song and really excited about this tour with Epica as it will be something really special and amazing!!!"


 





 

Finnish melodic death/doom/gothic metallers Hanging Garden have released an official video the second song to be revealed off the band's upcoming album, The Garden, set for release on March 24th via Agonia Records. Checkout "The Fireside" below.





Hanging Garden recently revealed details of its eighth studio album, and first for Agonia Records. The Garden, recorded by a seven-piece amplified by female vocals, navigating its way through a dark setting of melodic, gothic, doom and death metal, will see its release on March 24th, 2023.




Hanging Garden formed in 2004, starting out as a heavy, doom-oriented project. Roughly two decades, seven albums and a couple of line-up shuffles later, the band shifted to a more melodic, contemporary sound, surrounded by a veil of melancholy.


The compositions are dark, atmospheric & emotional, and concomitantly lean towards open-minded and playful musicality. While entrenched in metal's doom, gothic and melodeath branches, Hanging Garden displays a versatile, many-layered style of playing, packs female & male vocals, and draws influence & inspiration from music and art, far and wide.


The new album - The Garden - dives deep into atmospheres both "tender and harsh, devilish and serene" and "embarks upon a journey to mankind's spiritual roots, contemplating the fragility of our technological society" - as poetically described by the band. "There is a kind of energy in the songs that there wasn’t before," introspects Toni Hatakka of Hanging Garden. "A feel of hope to contrast our old friend the despair, a strong notion of action against the familiar melancholy, or maybe a light amidst the comfortable gloom..."


Read Toni's full comment below.


"After almost two decades of dwelling in the musical and lyrical thematics of despair, loss and melancholy, I had the feeling that our next release could have some room for hope and light as well - of course not forgetting our trademark-ish somber aesthetic. The approach we decided to take was to weave a story of how humanity would still thrive, still find meaning, after the world as we know it has finally met its end."


"Exploring the rituals, belief systems, connection to nature, finding purpose in just being and surviving were the cornerstones of how The Garden came to be. Another strong theme is that of dreams; since childhood, I’ve had this recurring dream world with a silent feel of stagnation, colossal constructs of rust, the action of journeying to the unknown, and lush nature. This is where I also draw a lot of what ended up on the album. The lyrics written by Riikka also amalgamated into this aesthetic perfectly. Even the name was given to me in a dream. Back in spring, I had a dream where our keyboardist Nino and I had a talk about this being our Magnum Opus and that we should call it The Garden. Such a powerful notion could not be left unheeded, and so the album had its name. The Garden is at the same time familiar and atypical for us. There is a kind of energy in the songs that there wasn’t before, a feel of hope to contrast our old friend the despair, a strong notion of action against the familiar melancholy, or maybe a light amidst the comfortable gloom. But in the end, this is us."


The Garden, the follow-up to Skeleton Lake (2021), was produced by Jussi Hämäläinen (vocals, guitars) and Jarno Hänninen. The album was mixed and mastered by the latter at D-studio (Beherit, Shape of Despair). Cover artwork and new band photos are by Finnish artist Kalle Pyyhtinen. "The Garden" marks the return of new-old drummer Antti Ruokola, last seen in Hanging Garden seven years ago.





Tracklist:


"The Garden"
"The Four Winds"
"The Construct"
"The Song of Spring"
"The Fire at First Dawn"
"The Nightfall"
"The Stolen Fire"
"The Journey"
"The Derelict Bay"
"The Fireside"
"The Resolute"


"The Four Winds"





Line-up:
Mikko Kolari - guitars
Jussi Hämäläinen - guitars, vocals
Toni Hatakka - vocals
Riikka Hatakka - vocals
Nino Hynninen - keyboards
Jussi Kirves - bass
Antti Ruokola - drums

Skid Row vocalist Erik Grönwall has shared a new cover video accompanied with the following message:


"I performed this song live when I did Swedish Idol back in 2009. I thought it was time to revisit this classic. Ladies and gents, here's my version of Iron Maiden - 'Run To The Hills'."


All instruments played by: Philip Näslund (except bass)
Bass guitar: Ricky Bonazza
Video: Jakob Jakobsson Blom




 


Grönwall (ex-H.E.A.T.), who is a cancer survivor, recently spoke with Metal Roos about how his battle with cancer affected his life moving forward, and joining the band in the aftermath.


Grönwall: "It was a big risk for the guys to ask me if I wanted to become the singer without ever meeting me or being in the same room as me," Erik told Metal-Roos. I told Rachel (Bolan / bass) and he told me that, 'Well, you took four risks with us; Rachel, Scotti (Hill / guitar), Snake (Dave Sabo / guitar) and Rob (Hammersmith / drums).' I guess there's some truth to that, but... first of all, this is an opportunity that you can't say no to. I told myself that, well, if this doesn't work, if they don't like me and I don't like them, well, at least I was the singer of Skid Row for a week or two, and that's something I will always have with me. So that was the mindset I had going into this, but, luckily, we have a really good time together, and we really connected, so it's all good."





Skid Row's new album, The Gang's All Here, can be ordered here.





The Gang's All Here tracklisting:


"Hell Or High Water"
"The Gang's All Here"
"Not Dead Yet"
"Time Bomb"
"Resurrected"
"Nowhere Fast"
"When The Lights Come On"
"Tear It Down"
"October's Song"
"World's On Fire"


"Time Bomb" video:





"Tear It Down" video:





"The Gang's All Here: (Official Fan Video):

Toronto's Deadwolff recently released their latest single, "Homeward Bound", via Golden Robot Records. This is the second single for the up and coming Canadian rockers following the 2022 release of their appropriately titled debut single, "Heavy Rock n' Roll".


"Homeward Bound" is a top pick amongst the band for their upcoming debut full length album, expected out later in the year. On the surface the song is a catchy and easy to sing along to track but hidden layers hide heavy emotions. It's a song about being bullied and trying to get in with the popular crowd while having to fight to prove your worth; a topic most people can relate to on some level.


"A trauma based tune, heavy and raw, such is life," says frontman Tommy Wolffe.




Pick up "Homeward Bound" here. Check out the official video below.





Deadwolff is a three-piece band based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2020, Deadwolff is composed of Tommy Wolffe, on bass and vocals, Bobby Deuce, on guitars and backing vocals, and Angus Pike on drums.


In late December of 2020, Boonsdale Records released the band’s debut EP digitally. Shortly after, Deadwolff signed with Metal Assault Records, based out of Los Angeles, and released their debut EP on cassette, which sold out quickly.


As of recently, Deadwolff has been touring throughout Canada, bringing their catchy hooks, and eccentric live show to electric audiences. Building momentum quickly, Deadwolff sought out and was noticed by Golden Robot Records, whom is set to release their full length debut album.


A blend of hard rock, punk, and metal, Deadwolff set themselves apart from other bands with their take on the New Wave of Heavy Rock and Roll. Recommended for fans of Judas Priest, Motörhead, and W.A.S.P, Deadwolff‘s is a revival of foot-tapping, beer-drinking, head banging tunes, and more.

Motive Black have released a lyric video for "Caged", featured on their upcoming album, Auburn, out on February 10 via AFM Records. Watch below:





The upcoming album is titled Auburn, which frontwoman Elana Justin says, "is named for my sister's beautiful auburn-colored hair. Losing her forced me to reexamine my life and make significant changes. I went through a huge transitional period which included both ugly and beautiful experiences. The album is a wild ride through that journey of anger, mania, deep love, and self discovery."




In addition to the vocal prowess of vocalist Elana Justin, the album features Nick Rowe on guitar, bass and co-songwriting credits; drummer Ray Luzier (Korn) on six tracks; guitarist Marcos Curiel (P.O.D.) on the first single "Broken"; and "special guest" Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies on the song "Lift Me Up." Harvey also co-starred in the video for that track and says: "I love collaborating with strong women on projects so when I was asked to add my vocals to "Lift Me Up", I happily obliged. The result…an infectious tune, a new found friendship…!"


Auburn was produced at the legendary NRG Studios in North Hollywood, Calif. by Grammy-winning Nick Rowe (Vampire Weekend, Lamb Of God, Madonna, Snoop Dogg) and mixed by Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Korn, Papa Roach).





Auburn tracklisting:


"Lift Me Up" (feat. Carla Harvey)
"Broken" (feat. Ray Luzier, Marcos Curiel)
"Let Down"
"Bloodsport"
"Caged" (feat. Ray Luzier)
"Purge"
"Cellophane" (feat. Ray Luzier)
"Bad Decisions"
"Fake" (feat. Ray Luzier)
"Fight Alone" (feat. Ray Luzier)
"Auburn" (feat. Ray Luzier)


"Auburn" lyric video:



 
"Lift Me Up" video:





"Broken" video:

Queen recently launched the new video series, “Queen The Greatest: Live”, a year-long celebration of Queen Live. A 50-week YouTube series going behind the scenes to reveal what goes into creating a Queen show featuring moments from iconic performances and demonstrating why the band is regarded as the ultimate live act. The latest episode can be found below.


"In preparation for their massive, and ultimately final, stadium tour of Europe with Freddie Mercury in 1986, Queen embarked on a series of full production rehearsals to test all elements of their extraordinary show. Some of those rehearsals were captured on a home movie camera, giving a rare insight into the amount of preparation that went into these Magic shows."







Queen have announced that The Official 77th Freddie Mercury Birthday Party is scheduled for September 2 at Casino Barriere in Montreux, Switzerland. Tickets are on sale now, here.


A message from Queen states: "The live entertainment this year will come from the UK's Live Killers, who will be performing Queen's 1973 debut album in its entirety, plus deep cuts and classic hits. All those who purchase a ticket will be entered into a draw to win a personalized framed presentation disc of Queen's 1973 debut album signed by Roger Taylor and Brian May. All profits from the event go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust - Fighting AIDS Worldwide.


"From August 31 - September 3, further free activities and live music will be organized near the statue by Montreux Celebration. More information at montreuxcelebration.com."