A savage, and visceral deathcore band from Cleveland Ohio, 72 Legions - based on the myth of Ars Goetia - bring brutal death, deathcore, and elements of black metal into a melodic yet violent mix of music.


Formed in 2022 by Devin Wirick (vocals) and Curran Murphy (guitars), the lineup was completed with Dan Gates (bass), Robert Quad (guitar) and Colton Zeitler (drums). The independe tly released three song EP, 72-EP, available now, will be followed up with the full length album in February 2023. 


Plans for touring are being organized for 2023, and a second full length album is planned for the end of 2023.







Tracklist


"Procession"
"Paradise"
"Muted Empathy"


Pick up the EP via Bandcamp here.

Legendary guitar player Jeff Beck passed away on Tuesday, January 10, at the age of 78. Beck’s family shared in a statement that Beck died on after contracting bacterial meningitis.


The statement reads: “On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss.”


Beck was famous for replacing Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in 1965 and released numerous classic albums with his own band, the Jeff Beck Group. He is a two time Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer with the Yardbirds and as a solo artist.




Former Danger Danger guitarist Andy Timmons has paid tribute to Beck with a piece he wrote called "Beautiful Strange".


Timmons: "Written the night I saw Jeff Beck for the first time in 1999. I had never been so moved by a performance in my life. Every note and nuance had such incredible emotional intent. Truly an enlightening and inspiring evening. I recorded this video a few days after Jeff's passing with a version of my signature Ibanez AT100 guitar that I had made specifically to look like Jeff's 'Wired' Strat. Also. I set up the tremolo to be 'floating' similar to his. My heart still hurts now that he's gone, but may we all continue to reach for that incredibly high bar that he set. Much Love, Gratitude and Respect." 

Swedish rockers, Creye, will release their new album, III: Weightless, on February 17. Watch a video for the new single, "One Step Away", below, and pre-order/save III: Weightless here.


As with their last album, II, this new album sees the band’s songwriting and playing jumping by leaps and bounds to put them at the forefront of the Swedish melodic rock scene. With an album and live EP as well as multiple gigs under their belt, this lineup of Creye has truly gelled and that cohesiveness shines through on III: Weightless. Fans of the band's previous work certainly won't be disappointed and will also be thankful that the band has managed to evolve while staying familiar.


After releasing the Straight To The Top EP in early 2017, Creye signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers and released their self-titled debut album in October 2018. After announcing that August Rauer would be the new frontman for the band in late 2018, Creye toured in Sweden and Europe in 2019, including appearing at Melodicrock Fest, Frontiers Rock Sweden, and the Rockingham Festival. Creye regrouped in the studio in late 2019 to start working on the follow-up album to their self-titled debut. The plan was to refine and improve their songs and approach. The band’s strong determination to achieve this goal shone through on what would become their second album, II.




With III: Weightless, Creye's evolution as a premiere band in the Swedish melodic rock scene continues unabated.





III: Weightless tracklisting:


"Glorious"
"Air"
"One Step Away"
"The Game"
"Spreading Fire"
"Weightless"
"How Far"
"In The Shadows"
"Stay"
"Dangerous"
"Pieces"


"One Step Away" video:





"Air" video:





"Spreading Fire" video:





- Produced by: Jacob Gustafsson


Lineup:


August Rauer - Lead Vocals
Andreas Gullstrand - Lead Guitar
Fredrik Joakimsson - Rhythm Guitar
Joel Selsfors - Keyboards
Gustaf Örsta - Bass
Arvid Filipsson - Drums

During a recent edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted Nugent offers his take on the news of our world every night, the legendary rocker was asked about the decline of Christianity in the United States, with some people predicting that the U.S. will be majority non-Christian by about 2035. He told co-host Keith Mark (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's no question there's a parallel between the abandonment of God, the abandonment of the spirit — the Native Americans' great spirit — which guided our conscious and our soul and our decision making to do the right thing, as that faith is abandoned, this is what you get: RuPaul, Al Not-So-Sharpton, Joe and Hunter Biden, the whole Democrat party, Disney having these horrible, horrible images and agendas in their movies for children. This really is the devil at play, and we can beat the devil by praying and getting back to God.

"I'm not a churchgoer, but you know what I do? I get under a tree almost every night six months a year or in a duck blind and I pray," Ted continued. "I pray that I am the best that I can be and God's humble servant and being a conservationist, a steward of his miraculous creation. And I'm a Christian. I'm a God-loving man. I don't know where the term 'God-fearing' [comes from]. I don't fear God; I love God. And I think the further we get away, the farther we get away, both physically and spiritually, from faith and God, this is where the RuPauls and the Al Not-So-Sharptons and the Hunter Bidens rule the world. Don't let it happen. Pray and remind your family and your friends and people at work and school and church to pray harder."

Nugent previously touched upon his faith in an October 2022 interview with Katy Christian Magazine. At the time, he said in part about his "relationship with God": "I was raised in a hunting family, and when you hunt, and you kill an animal, that's a great challenge and discipline and higher level of awareness. You realize that the Big Bang could not have created a heart and lungs and the incredible escape mechanisms of these magnificent animals that God created. That was creation by the Hand of God, and you're driven to participate as a servant of God. So yes, I believe in God, I'm a Christian… I could give you many, many examples, I should not have survived certain occurrences, and God saved my life and pulled me through. Many, many dangerous situations. He has a plan for me, He woke me up, and He continues to wake me up,"

Ted added: "We've really become some dumb, ignorant, careless, de-souled, sheeplike people out here, and so that was my calling [from God], to stand up against the lie of 'peer pressure,' and when people made fun of me for carrying a gun… God gave me the precious gift of life, and I have a moral obligation to defend it. That's why we wrote the First Amendment; it's a God-given individual right."

Back in June 2020, Nugent told "Triggered", the show hosted by then-U.S. president Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., that the billionaire real estate mogul was "on a mission from God. This is divine intervention," he said. "We needed a status quo crusher, and I can't think of anybody except Donald J. Trump that could have pulled it off with such effectiveness, such absolutism and, shall I say, aplomb. He came in when he came down that escalator, [and] he's still grining all these years later, and I think we can all learn lessons from [him]."

Nugent has spent the last few months promoting his latest album, "Detroit Muscle", which was released in April 2022 via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless.

Robert DeLeo, bassist and principal songwriter of the iconic band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, has released two digital bonus tracks from his critically acclaimed solo album, "Lessons Learned".

DeLeo recorded covers of two Gordon Lightfoot songs, "Affair On 8th Avenue" and "Your Love's Return" with Pete Shoulder on vocals.

"Gordon Lightfoot is one of the sculptors of a musical era that I cherish and hold so dear to my heart," says Robert. "I covered these two songs out of respect and relating to Gordon's willingness to convey his vulnerability in his songs. I decided to leave Gordon's songs off 'Lessons Learned' so my musical journey and personal experiences would be my own."

Robert played virtually all the instruments on the album, complemented by guest musicians and vocalists, all of which lend to the undeniable intimacy of the music.

"Pete Shoulder is one of my favorite singers," says Robert. "His voice captures the same elements that great singers of the past have emotionally stirred up in all of us."

Like so much of DeLeo's body of work, "Lessons Learned" is the kind of record that feels so alive in the present and instantly soundtracks the moment for the listener.

AllMusic describes "Lessons Learned" as a "rich, reflective record, one that serves as comfort during moments of contemplation." Guitar Player says, "DeLeo proves himself a crafty and accomplished finger style guitarist as well as brilliant tunesmith."

Last March, Robert spoke to AXS TV's "At Home And Social With" about his solo album. The 56-year-old musician said: "Through this pandemic, there's been a lot of time and a lot of free time. And it gave me a chance to pick up all my acoustic instruments and kind of talk to them a little bit and see what they had to say back. And before I knew it, I had a bunch of songs together of my own — acoustic-based songs. And I had some friends of mine, who are very talented, do some vocal stuff. So I have different vocalists — about five different vocalists — through the record, and great, great, very talented people helping me out with this."

In February 2022, DeLeo revealed on his Instagram that his solo album would include a guest appearance by Kara Britz, who has worked as a backing singer on NBC's "The Voice" and has backed up country artist Blake Shelton, as well as piano playing by producer, engineer and mixer Bill Appleberry and cello playing of Dave Eggar.

In the summer of 2021, DeLeo discussed his solo album in an interview with Bass Player magazine. At the time, he stated about the set: "It's all acoustic bass, and I got a chance to sharpen up my acoustic guitar skills too. I wound up finding a guitarrón — you know, the Mexican bass? I found one that was converted to four strings and it was fretted, and it sounds unbelievable. I've reached out to people that I really wanted to write and collaborate with."

DeLeo has been discussing the possibility of releasing a solo album for at least the last two decades. Back in 2002, he said that he was "compiling a number of songs" that had not made their way on to STP records, "not because they're bad songs, [but] just because they never found a place. Though they're different from STP, they still mean a lot to me," he explained.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 46-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

Photo credit: Duke DeLeo

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci spoke to Ollie Winiberg of "The Heavy Hooks Show"about the band winning its first-ever Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which was held in April 2022 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. DREAM THEATER was nominated for "The Alien", a track from its 2021 album "A View From The Top Of The World". DREAM THEATER's previous Grammy nominations were for the song "On The Backs Of Angels", from 2011's "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album, and the single "The Enemy Inside" from 2013's "Dream Theater".

Petrucci said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It really is something you have to kind of just scratch you head, like, 'Did that really happen?' and take it in. In fact, today, when we were doing soundcheck, it's, like, 'Okay, what song do you wanna do?' We always a little bit of the songs. And I said, 'How about the Grammy Award-winning song 'The Alien'?' And everybody's ears perk up. It's, like, 'Oh, yeah. That happened.' … That's how bizarre it is. You're, like, 'What are you talking about?'"

John also reflected on the moment when he first heard DREAM THEATER's name announced as the winner of the "Best Metal Performance" Grammy. He said: "That was a surreal moment. The [other DREAM THEATER] guys didn't go to the Grammys that year. It had been postponed because of COVID. It had been moved from L.A. to Vegas. And it was sort of scheduled in between two DREAM THEATER tour legs. Nobody was really sure [how it was going to be]. So my wife and I went — my wife Rena. It's, like, 'Let's go to Vegas for five days. How bad can it be? If we win, awesome. If we don't, we'll hang out in Vegas.' So she was there with me. And when they announced it, I was, like, 'What?' And all of sudden, I'm running up to the thing in my suit.

"But the point I wanted to try to get across [in my Grammy acceptance speech] was that we've been doing what we do for a long time the way we do it, sort of against all odds, and we built a career out of it, and then to achieve that sort of recognition from that community was really just great," John explained. "Because it's not like it was some sort of pop version of us that we attempted to do that got out there. It was probably one of the most complicated songs we ever wrote. So my point was, do what you do, believe in what you're doing, and do it with a ton of conviction. And then when those sort of moments happen, it feels that much more satisfying."

Last April, DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie told Myglobalmind that "it was overwhelming" to finally win a Grammy Award. "It was quite surreal and it took a while for it to sink in — I think a couple of days before I was, like, 'Wow. Okay. So this actually did happen. I guess the third time's the charm, 'cause we were nominees a couple of times before for 'On The Backs Of Angels' and 'The Enemy Inside'.

"When it happened and our name was called and then John went up on stage, I thought he did an amazing acceptance speech," he continued. "He was well poised and well worded, as always; he's a very intelligent individual.

"It's an amazing feeling. I guess it's another level of recognition for us and another feather in our cap, so to speak," LaBrie added. "But, no, it's just a great feeling and it's affirmation as to the kind of band that we are and how we've been around for some time. And it's good to get that recognition from the Grammy [Awards]."

That same month, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess told VWMusic about the band's first-ever Grammy win: "It was very exciting to get that Grammy, as we've been nominated three times. And I have to say that I didn't really expect to get it because I was getting used to being nominated and not getting it. The other reason I thought we wouldn't get it is that DREAM THEATER is really prog metal, and we were in a metal category. I mean, that was the best category for us, but I thought maybe the voters would sort of stick together in that more traditional metal frame of mind. I was really pleased that we got that kind of recognition and validation, and it's the one award that definitely makes a difference. In a musician's life, a Grammy can affect your whole career. It changes the way you do business with people, and the way people deal with you. It's a really big deal. I definitely have to say that it feels really good. We are riding high over it for sure."

Regarding "The Alien", Jordan said: "What's interesting about that song is, as you know, it's not necessarily like the most commercial kind of song — it's definitely not commercial at all; it's in this odd time signature. When we started, Mike [Mangini] was doing this crazy time signature thing on drums that inspired us to get the song off the ground. The next thing you know, we were all writing our parts, and it came together. It actually was the first thing that we wrote for the album, so it kind of flowed out from there. It's cool because it has all the classic DREAM THEATER elements in it, and that's what I really liked about the song. It has the unison between me and [guitarist] John Petrucci, it has the keyboards, the great guitar leads, and these crazy meters, but it also has a solid hook. I was glad that we decided to put that out there when the record came out, and have that song be the one that was out front because I think it tells the DREAM THEATER story really well."

During a January 24 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", STRYPER's Michael Sweet talked about meeting MERCYFUL FATE singer King Diamond — whose real name is Kim Bendix Petersen — for the first time when the two bands performed at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest on December 4, 2022. Regarding how the encounter came about, Sweet said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we got to that festival in Mexico, I walked into our dressing room, and right next to ours it said 'MERCYFUL FATE'. And I said to myself, 'Okay, there's no way I'm gonna leave this festival without meeting Kim.' And I spoke to someone, and they spoke someone and arranged us meeting. I went out in the hallway, and there he was. And he said, 'Michael, nice to meet you.' I said, 'Oh, it's so nice to meet you. What's going on?' And he was all smiles and very gracious. And we talked about the weather where he lives and the weather where I live, and just regular stuff. And it was really incredible. Because you have this idea of what it's going to be — good versus evil; and is there gonna be a war? Is there gonna be this? And it's the exact opposite. And that's really the way life is nine out of 10 times."

When host Eddie Trunk asked if there was any discussion about their differing religious beliefs, Michael said: "No. [It was just] two dudes talking. And we enjoyed each other's conversation. And if we were out at a restaurant, we would have hung out and had some wine and broke bread together and talked more.

"It's just interesting because some people from both camps freaked out," Michael admitted. "Most people were positive, but some people from my camp are, like, 'Did you get to talk to him about the Lord?' I'm, like, 'Really? You're kidding me, right?' So I'm gonna go up to Kim and immediately say, 'Let's talk about the Lord.'"

As for whether there was any talk about him and King doing a duet, Sweet said: "That's something I would have talked to him about. I did not, and maybe that will happen someday; that would be amazing. But we just talked about regular stuff. And it was brief; it wasn't a long conversation — maybe five minutes, six minutes. And his wife wrote on my Facebook page about how she wanted to meet me and meet the band and how great it was that Kim and I met. It was just really cool, man. It was amazing."

Pressed about whether he would be open to doing a song together with King, Michael said: "Sure. Of course. Let me put it this way: before I do anything, I think about it, and not to sound silly, but I do pray about it. I pray about everything that I do, like, 'Should I do this?' And some people might think, 'That's weird,' but it's just how I live my life. And I would certainly pray about that, as I did do in SWEET & LYNCH," referencing his ongoing project with legendary guitarist George Lynch, who describes himself as a "freethinking atheist".

Sweet previously reflected on his meeting with King during an interview last month with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. At the time, he said: "I just met Kim, King Diamond [of] MERCYFUL FATE. In all these years, I've had this perception of Kim, and then I met Kim, and he was so polite — one of the nicest guys I've ever met. [He was] very cordial and friendly, and took a picture and shook my hand and looked into my eyes and engaged in conversation. And you could tell he was interested in talking. And I just was blown away. And all those perceptions were annihilated because I felt like, 'Okay, here's this guy that probably won't like us — or like me.' And we had a great conversation. If we went to dinner and had a dinner, we'd probably have a great dinner. But we're polar opposites. So I find that very interesting. And at the end of the day, it makes me realize that we're all the same — we're all flesh and blood; we all have feelings; we all have emotions; and most of those are the same."

Michael also spoke about his conversation with King in an interview with Metal Edge. Asked what he and King discussed, Michael said: "The weather, the birds, the bees. It was just a normal conversation. It's like, wow, he has this persona. We have this persona. You're Satanic. We're Christian. But then when you break it down, we're just people."

In a 2013 interview with Indie Vision Music, Sweet explained why STRYPER plays with secular bands. He said: "A lot of Christians have given us a ton of heat over the years for doing that. Not understanding… 'Why do you guys play clubs? Why do you play with secular bands?' Well, why wouldn't we? Aren't we to go into the world… into the dark… and bring the light? I mean, that’s what we're called to do as Christians. That's why we do it. We play clubs, we go to places where no Christian bands go. We play with mainstream secular bands so we can play to their fans and we can talk to them. I mean, that's kind of the whole point in what we do. We've been doing that for thirty years and there's no sign of stopping. We're planning on continuing to do that, of course. It really works for us. Again, it's kind of cut us off with a lot of people in the church, because they think we're not really Christians, or we're this, or we're that. It's like, okay, whatever. Someday we'll all stand before God and we'll know who was real and who wasn't."

Even though STRYPER's third album, 1986's "To Hell With The Devil", made Sweet and his bandmates the first contemporary Christian act to score a platinum album, the group has often felt unwelcome in Christian circles, with some members of the church feeling that Christianity and heavy metal are incompatible.

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

Formed 40 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

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

Heaven and Hell.. it was a pleasure to see Michael Sweet of Stryper yesterday at Hell And Heaven Fest 😈

Posted by MERCYFUL FATE on Monday, December 5, 2022

In a new interview with Ibagenscast, vocalist Jeff Scott Soto was asked if fans can expect new music soon from SONS OF APOLLO, his project with bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS),former DREAM THEATER members Mike Portnoy (drums; also of THE WINERY DOGS) and Derek Sherinian (keyboards; also of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION),along with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (guitar; ex-GUNS N' ROSES). He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wish I had an answer for that. SONS OF APOLLO has always been a band that had to go in stages, in windows of open time schedules. And the reason why we were able to do [a second] album so quickly — and that's quick for this band — three years [after 2017's 'Psychotic Symphony'], is because there was no pandemic. The pandemic stopped us in our tracks for an entire year and a half. So, basically, you have to think if the 'MMXX' [pronounced '2020'] album came out in the end of '21, beginning of '22, that's when the real cycle begins with everything else that we have to wait for. So, in reality, if we do a SONS OF APOLLO record, it's not gonna be till '25 — maybe '24, if we're lucky — only because THE WINERY DOGS; MR. BIG is planning to go back out; BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, they're planning a new thing. Bumblefoot, he's not really touring and doing anything outside anymore; he really wants to concentrate on things that he wants to do on his level. So he's pretty open. But I'm busy, everybody's busy, so to try to find that, 'Okay, guys, let's keep this window time open. This is when we're gonna do it.' But that discussion hasn't been made yet."

SONS OF APOLLO completed a South American tour last August. Sheehan was unable to join his bandmates on the trek due to COVID-19 vaccine-related travel restrictions. His replacement on the tour was ANGRA's Felipe Andreoli.

"MMXX" was released in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

About five years ago, Portnoy told Let's Rock about SONS OF APOLLO's chemistry: "I'd like to say that I was surprised by how easy it came together, but, to be honest, I kind of expected that. That wasn't really a surprise. I knew it would work. I knew it would be easy once once we started playing just because I know the guys involved. So, I can't really say there were many surprises. Everything kind of went according to plan. Everybody was kind of chosen for the band because I knew their personalities. And Jeff and Bumblefoot in particular are the two most easy-going guys, and [laughs] that's very rare for a guitar player and a singer. But in this case, you couldn't ask for two sweeter guys. That's a huge part of [the] importance in picking band chemistry. A lot of times, it's well beyond the music. It's more about the personalities and in this case, it's a great group of guys."

Grammy Award-nominated hard rock outfit IN THIS MOMENT is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording its eighth full-length album.

On Saturday (January 28),IN THIS MOMENT shared the following update via Instagram: "The recording of the new ITM album is about to begin, This album is for you all. Through thick and thin you reman our constant… We cannot wait for you all to hear what we are conjuring up".

Last October, IN THIS MOMENT released an EP called "Blood 1983". The effort commemorated the tenth anniversary of IN THIS MOMENT's gold-certified album "Blood" (2012) and was made available digitally across all digital service providers as well as CD via BMG.

"Blood 1983" was co-produced by Tyler Bates and Dan Haigh, and mixed by Zakk Cervini.

Since coming to life in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT has presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of "mother" figure and frontwoman Maria Brink — joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group's otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21st century.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood", the quintet has garnered two gold singles — "Blood" and "Whore" — followed by Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Welcome To Rockville to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner) with longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).

IN THIS MOMENT is Maria Brink (lead vocals),Chris Howorth (guitars),Travis Johnson (bass),Randy Weitzel (rhythm guitar),Kent Dimmel (drums).

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has once again said that the Axl Rose-fronted AC/DC concert he caught in New York City was one of the best rock shows he has ever seen.

AC/DC postponed the last ten dates of its North American tour seven years ago after doctors told singer Brian Johnson he faced a total loss of hearing if he did not stop touring immediately. AC/DC completed the tour in the summer of 2016, with the GUNS N' ROSES singer as a "guest vocalist".

Ian reflected on the experience of seeing Rose with AC/DC at Madison Square Garden during an appearance on the latest episode of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric "Appetite for Distortion" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That Axl/DC show, it was fantastic, because I just thought he nailed [late AC/DC singer] Bon [Scott]. He nailed it — he nails Bon and Brian. And his joy as a fan of that band… 'Cause I don't know Axl, other than having said 'hi' to him a couple of times over the decades — I don't know him. I think I hung out with him, kind of, one time in the '90s at a bar in New York, but other than a, 'Hey, how are you…' But I've always been a fan of certainly [GUNS N' ROSES' debut album] 'Appetite [Of Destruction]' and that record. And I've always known he's an AC/DC fan, 'cause he talks about it."

Scott continued: "[Axl] crushed it. And boy, his fanboyness came out so strong on that stage, you could tell how happy he was to be fronting one of his favorite bands of all time. And not only did he do it justice, but it just couldn't have been… Other than Bon coming back from the dead and a zombie walking out onto that stage, it couldn't have been better. I mean, he nailed it — he fucking nailed it. He took a backseat to [AC/DC guitarist] Angus [Young]. It was just so respectful. The fact that between songs, it was, like, ''You probably know this next one,' and then they bust into 'Highway To Hell'. It's just, like, 'Jesus Christ.' Everything about it was great. It was two and a half hours of headbanging — just non-stop. A fabulous, fantastic show."

Ian previously talked about Rose's performance with AC/DC five years ago during a previous appearance on "Appetite For Distortion". At the time, he said: "I'll be completely honest: when I first heard that Axl was gonna do shows with AC/DC, I just wasn't feeling it. I can't tell you why other than maybe because I'm just such an AC/DC fan for so long and it just seemed weird to me that all of a sudden Brian was pushed to the wayside. And like a lot of AC/DC fans, I think that was kind of a bitter pill to swallow. So I was kind of like, 'Ehhh…' It's not my band. I get it. I'm never gonna be the guy to tell someone else how to run their business; I understand it. But as a fan, I don't have to buy into it — no one's forcing me to buy into it. But it turns out we get to have a night off on tour and it turns out we're close enough to New York to go see AC/DC at Madison Square Garden. And then Axl was kind enough to… A friend of mine who knows Axl and his assistant was kind enough to get a bunch of us on the guest list for that show. And I can't speak highly enough about it.

"And even before that… I'm sorry, I skipped a step," he continued. "I saw a clip online — I can't remember from where — but I saw Axl singing 'Riff Raff' with AC/DC and it blew my mind how great it was. [I was] just like, 'Holy crap! That's perfect! It's perfect!' So then, of course, I got excited about the show. And then the show itself was two and a half hours of perfection. I've gone on record: it's the best AC/DC show I've ever seen. And I headbanged for two and a half hours, which is about an hour longer than I even headbang in an ANTHRAX show, so I actually, even on a night off, I worked harder at the AC/DC show [laughs] than I normally would at one of my own gigs."

Ian added: "It was incredible — one of the best rock shows I've ever seen. I can't say enough about it. The setlist was mindblowing and Axl was note-perfect on all the Brian and the Bon stuff. His passion for it was obvious. It was incredible — it was really, really an incredible night.

"20 years from now, if someone asks me, 'What's the best show you've seen in the last 20 years?' I have the answer. No question, it's that."

AC/DC's North American tour ended in Philadelphia in September 2016, and despite initial fan trepidation, Axl got generally good reviews for his performances. Angus said at the time: "I mean, under the situation that we had, it was very good that he volunteered and said, 'Hey, if I can help, let me try.' So he's been very good. And he had to learn a lot of songs very quickly, and he's done a great job."

AC/DC released its long-awaited comeback album, "Power Up", with Johnson on vocals, in November 2020.

In a new interview with Pete Pardo of Sea Of Tranquility, singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG) spoke about ELEGANT WEAPONS, his new project featuring guitarist Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST). Ronnie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's something Richie [brought] to the table a couple of years ago. He call[ed] me and said, 'Listen…' If I remember correctly, he had the album recorded already, but he told me [at the time], 'We feel that doesn't work with the singer we have. So we're gonna try with another singer.' So I recorded a song, and then they loved it. And we ended up working together. And the plans are we're gonna release the album in, I think it's gonna be May, it's gonna be released by Nuclear Blast. And then we're gonna make some summer festivals around Europe. Then probably we'll go properly on tour, if everybody's okay. And probably we're gonna record a second album, and then we will see."

Romero went on to say that ELEGANT WEAPONS is "a very solid project," adding that "it's not something we will do once, and that's it. And also we're not doing it because of a contract that we need to fulfill. It's because we really want to do it together," he explained. "Richie is a cool guy; we are friends. And the rest of the guys also. Andy Sneap, [who did] the production, is a cool guy also. And we really want to see what happens with the band because we think people are gonna be very surprised about what they're gonna listen on the music side. It's not the typical thing Richie and I were doing for the last few years. It's a different thing. And I think the people are gonna like it. So we will see what happens. And we're gonna build the house from that point."

ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, has announced the following 2023 European festival appearances so far:

June 16 - Clisson, France @ Hellfest
Jun. 23-25 – Cartagena, Spain @ Rock Imperium
July 02 - Bologna, Italy @ The Return Of The Gods
July 28-30 - Ebbw Vale, U.K. @ Steelhouse Festival

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

Regarding the ELEGANT WEAPONS band name, Faulkner said: "In almost any endeavor, the craftsman needs the right tools for the job. For a musician, those tools are things like their instruments, their voices and the emotions that the right combination of all those can bring to the surface. You can also consider it a reference to the instruments we play, because they're almost antiquities now. So yes, it references our instruments and also this kind of music, where we're carrying on the tradition of the greats like SABBATH and DIO but also bands the guys are connected to, like RAINBOW, PANTERA and PRIEST."

Richie and Rex have been friends for years, so when Richie was recording "Horns For A Halo" during the pandemic, he called on his friend to record the bass for the album.

"Well, Rex brings a sound, first of all, that is like no other bass sound," explained Richie. "The way he plays bass is instantly recognizable. But I got involved with Rex, you know, as with a lot of things that we do, as humans, really — we got involved as friends first. But Rex has got a great way of hearing the way the bass parts and the drums interact together. I mean, Rex's parts just breathe grit and life and dynamic into the songs. So it's a pleasure to have him on the record and it's a pleasure, obviously, to know him and have him as a friend — he's a legend."

As for Travis's involvement with the LP, Faulkner said: "I always wanted to make a record with Scott playing on it outside of PRIEST. His technique and style are legendary but also his groove."

When it comes to the live show, there was no other bass player even considered other than Rimmer. Davey and Richie go back over 20 years and they played the bars and pubs of London and England together, night in, night out for many years. Their musical relationship is almost telepathic in the way they communicate, from that early hard graft together on the circuit.

"Davey is an untouchable player," Richie said. "In sound, style and presence. A killer writer too, contributing great songs with URIAH HEEP. A great friend and a great musician."

When it came to choosing the drummer for the touring band, it was a no-brainer for Richie to enlist fellow Nashville resident and good friend Williams. Christopher had played and recorded the initial demos for the "Horns For A Halo" album, and was the obvious choice for the drum position. A phenomenal player, a great personality and a consummate professional.

And finally there's the new hotshot on the scene, Romero, Chilean-born, now living in Eastern Europe.

"Ronnie's got that heritage," says Richie, "and he nailed his parts in a week, which was a testament, really, to how good the guy is and how perfect he was for it. And he's just such a lovely guy, and, I think, one of a dying breed. There's not many people like him. There's good singers, like [Rob] Halford and [Ronnie James] Dio, but there's not many of them. He's really something special. When he sings with RAINBOW, he sounds obviously like Dio, but when he sings this stuff, there's something in there that comes out of him — he's his own monster, with his own trademark quality, which is an important thing to have."

Producing is PRIEST's touring guitarist of the past five years Sneap, who has been respectful of Richie's vision concerning a certain classic sound he wanted across the expanse of the record's 11 songs (ten originals plus a cover of UFO's "Lights Out"),and that is a signature Flying V through a Marshall Plexi amp.

"With the Marshall Plexi I've kind of gone back to the ‘70s, really," figured Faulkner. "And, you know, it's just one channel. And I've been using a prototype Flying V by Gibson, a blue Flying V with signature pickups, which I had been using on the PRIEST tour. I used it on the whole record, every track. So it's pretty straightforward technology-wise — the Flying V through a Marshall on 11."

As for the music, Richie described it as "a mix of Jimi Hendrix, PRIEST, SABBATH, solo Ozzy and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, but with a lot of melody, sort of old school and modern at once if that makes any sense, and actually down-tuned a whole step. The Marshall Plexi basically does one thing, but you've got to crank it to 11 for it to have that distorted sound. It hasn't got a lot of bells and whistles on it or different channels and effects. It basically does one thing and does it very well. But again down-tuning creates more of a modern sound, and by using the classic sound of the Marshall Plexi, you get that juxtaposition, that contrast. All told, there are a lot of guitar solos and the songs are on the heavier side. And even though there's a lot of melody, it's still going to shake your bones."

Specific to the songs, Richie explained that, "Me and acoustic don't really get along, so there's only one mellow song on it, a sort of smoky, haunted, New Orleans kind of tune called 'Ghost Of You', with de-tuned 1920s piano on it. That one is about a memory, or ghost of a lost love. But that's about as acoustic as it gets. I'm not really attracted to acoustic guitar in general. It's mainly kind of heavy and full-on, really. There's a song called 'White Horse', plus 'Horns For A Halo', which is like Tony Iommi crossed with ALICE IN CHAINS. That's about the way we justify the bad things we do. When we turn up on Judgement Day, will the angels kind of confuse our horns for halos, if you know what I mean. Then there's 'Rose Girl', which has a bit of a psychedelic '60s hippie vibe. It's about the rose girl who sells roses to the patrons at a strip club, and reflecting on what her life is all about."

Besides having these stories told, another mandate of the band is for Richie to propose more fully than he can across a PRIEST record, his own voice or style as it pertains to the guitar.

"Yes, everything that you do, without sounding pretentious, is trying to find your own voice and extension of your voice," he said. "I've been in cover bands all my life. Then you find yourself replacing K.K. Downing and it's, like, 'Now what am I gonna say?' I can't sound like K.K. Downing. I can't sound like Eddie Van Halen. I can't sound like Zakk Wylde. So it's refining and honing what your voice is, constantly fine-tuning what that voice is. And hopefully when people listen to it, they'll think, 'Oh, that's Richie.' In every song and every solo hopefully there's that sound, that narrative, that voice, and hopefully it stands the test of time."

But really, the over-arching mandate with ELEGANT WEAPONS is to perpetuate the rich legacy of the traditional proto-power metal invented by the heavy metal titans of the '70s and '80s, most pertinently JUDAS PRIEST.

"All four of us have got that original DNA in us, as does the new breed of traditional heavy metal fans," Richie said. "And so maybe a band like ELEGANT WEAPONS, hopefully we've got the credibility to make those original bands proud, because we were accepted by the members of those bands and by their fans. That's really the idea behind ELEGANT WEAPONS — to keep flying the flag for this style of timeless heavy metal."

Dee Snider has addressed TWISTED SISTER's future plans following the band's one-off onstage reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. The singer was speaking to Eonmusic hours before the legendary New York band's induction at the event, which took place Thursday night (January 26) at The Canyon Club.

On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, guitarist Jay Jay French, bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza and Mike Portnoy, who has played drums for TWISTED SISTER since the passing of former member A.J. Pero. Guitarist Eddie Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War.

The highlight of the ceremony — which also saw FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, NWOBHM heroes RAVEN, and guitarists Chris Impellitteri and Doug Aldrich honored — was TWISTED SISTER's highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

When asked what it's like to be back fronting TWISTED SISTER for one night only, Dee quipped: "Well, we tested it last night [during rehearsal], and apparently you can forget how to ride a bicycle. No, it was great. Somebody said that they never saw Mark 'The Animal' Mendoza smile so much. So, we had a great time last night, and we're looking forward to tonight."

Going on to crack wise about the time elapsed since the last TWISTED SISTER performance, Snider said: "Since then I've eaten a lot of pancakes and muffins so I'm not quite as fit as I was." Speaking more seriously for a second, he continued: "But, you know, it's fun. I love these guys, and that was one of the best things about reuniting was becoming friends again, and we are friends."

When asked the obvious question of, "Are you going to go forward with anything else, or is this just a one-off?", the singer was emphatic: "A hard 'no plans.' No plans at all to do that."

Going on to reference both OZZY OSBOURNE and MÖTLEY CRÜE's retirement and returns, he added: "You know, I ‘ve said when people retire, they should leave the stage, and all those bands, I'm tired of buying 'No More Tours' shirts and seeing people signing contracts in blood and then they show up three years later. I don't believe in that bullshit, so I don't think it's going to happen."

Eonmusic also spoke with French and Portnoy about the induction. For the full story, visit the site at Eonmusic.co.uk.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, who flew his group around the world in their customized jumbo jet dubbed Ed Force One, named after MAIDEN's iconic mascot Eddie, has commented on the news that the last Boeing 747 has rolled off the assembly line, marking the end of an iconic aircraft program that revolutionized air transport more than 50 years ago.

"On the ground it's stately, it's imposing," Bruce told Reuters. "And in the air it's surprisingly agile. For this massive airplane, you can really chuck it around if you have to."

Dickinson, who also chairs aviation maintenance firm Caerdav, added: "The 747 is the most beautiful and easy plane to land … It's just like landing an armchair."

The final airplane, a 747-8 Freighter, will be delivered next week to Atlas Air. It is the 1,574th manufactured during 55 years of production.

A year ago, Bruce told the Associated Press that he would not be sitting in the pilot's seat when he and his bandmates returned to the road in 2022. "Oh, no, no, no, no," he said. "We're going to be flying and I'm going to be in the back. Hey, look, I'm 63 — I'm 64 in August [of 2022]. You know, when you get to 65, if you're an airline pilot, they just take you out the back and shoot, right? So, I'm going to be sitting in the back being the backseat driver."

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),commercial pilots have to retire at age 65. There is currently no maximum age limit for being a private pilot or for being an Air Force pilot.

Dickinson gained a commercial pilot's license after learning to fly in the 1990s. In 2012 he set up Cardiff Aviation, an aircraft maintenance company which has since changed its name to Caerdav.

Bruce, who spent a few years flying planes for Astraeus Airlines, told CNN in a 2007 interview: "Aviation's been kicking around my family for as long as I can remember; my uncle was in the RAF. But I always thought I was too stupid. I was useless at maths and majored in history at university, so I thought history majors don't become pilots, let alone rock stars. And then our drummer learned to fly, so I said, 'If a drummer can learn to fly, then anyone can.'"

Dickinson told Wales Online that he still gets a thrill out of flying, but that it's a totally different sensation to playing live.

"The satisfaction flying airplanes is getting the job done, but the satisfaction with playing live is external, looking out at all the people looking at you," he said. "With an airliner, it's all internal. If you've got passengers, nobody goes, 'Wow! Wasn't that great?' They're thinking about the rest of their day. Your job as an airline pilot is to deliver them safely and be invisible. That's quite nice for me because it's completely the opposite to what I do when I sing."

Bruce and the rest of IRON MAIDEN will embark on "The Future Past Tour" later this year. The trek will feature previously unperformed songs from the band's most recent studio album, "Senjutsu", along with a focus on 1986's iconic "Somewhere In Time" record, plus other classic cuts.

The FortheloveofrockYouTube channel has uploaded video of RATT singer Stephen Pearcy's solo concert this past Saturday night (January 28) at the Spotlight Showroom at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, California. Also appearing at the gig was MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil who performed with his own solo band.

Pearcy will release a new collection of music, "Legacy", in early 2023 via Golden Robot Records. According to Stephen, the set will include never-before-heard RATT songs, solo tracks, re-recordings and new versions of previously released tunes.

As the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal rock band RATT, Pearcy led his creation to mega multi-platinum success year after year from 1984 to 1991. RATT climbed up the charts with "Out Of The Cellar", which generated Top 10 singles followed by sold-out tours throughout the world.

Throughout RATT's nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released eight albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records.

Pearcy has released five solo albums so far: "Social Intercourse" (2002),"Fueler" (2004),"Under My Skin" (2008),"Smash" (2017) and "View To A Thrill" (2018).

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

Are you ready? Two Legends in One Night, Performing All the Hits! @VinceNeil and @StephenPearcy playing live at...

Posted by Spotlight 29 Casino on Monday, January 16, 2023

Swedish pop star Zara Larsson has been panned for wearing a dress containing a piece of a t-shirt from the controversial Norwegian black metal band BURZUM.

BURZUM was founded by Kristian "Varg" Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh),who was convicted in 1994 and sentenced to Norway's longest prison term of 21 years for the August 1993 murder of MAYHEM guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous) and for burning down three churches, including the original Holmenkollen Chapel next to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo. He was released from prison in 2009 after serving 16 years of that sentence.

On Friday (January 27),Larsson showed up at the "P3 Guld" (Swedish radio's annual music awards) live awards ceremony wearing a dress that included some of the artwork that was featured on BURZUM's "Filosofem" album, along with pieces of t-shirts from CANNIBAL CORPSE and BEHEMOTH. She also shared a TikTok video of her wearing the same outfit.

But Larsson claims she didn't know her dress included material associated the notorious Norwegian black metal musician and right-wing extremist.

"Oopsie, had no idea. I just thought my clothes looked cool," she wrote in a message to Aftonbladet.

"It was unfortunate."

The 25-year-old singer also stressed that she was not wearing a BURZUM shirt.

"To clarify, I wasn't wearing their merchandise, I was wearing Raf Simons (with a print of them, I suppose)," she added, referencing the Belgian fashion designer who apparently came up with the idea for her dress.

Culture journalist Ika Johannesson, who has written a book about Swedish metal music, told SVT about Larsson's faux pas: "This is neither the first nor the last time someone wants to look cool by picking details from a culture they know nothing about."

After Vikernes was released from prison, he continued to express extreme views on his web site, claiming that "civil war, race war and a return to extreme nationalism" are "the only solution." He added: "Nothing other than a new Ice Age can stop immigration from Asia and Africa."

Larsson recently released a new single, "Can't Tame Her", the first taste of her upcoming fourth studio album.

She performed "Can't Tame Her" at Friday's "P3 Guld" ceremony while wearing a different outfit.

Image courtesy of Zara Larsson's TikTok
Zara Larsson pic.twitter.com/42gWBRRjGJ

— CelebPlanet_ (@CelebPlanet_) January 27, 2023

Classic French heavy metal band SORTILÈGE will release a new album, "Apocalypso", on March 3 via Season Of Mist. The LP includes all-new songs composed by the group's revamped lineup, featuring only singer Christian "Zouille" Augustin from the band's classic formation.

According to a press release, "Apocalypso" was created with the idea of keeping SORTILÈGE's DNA while adding some modernity to it along with a more powerful and outstanding hypnotic vibe.

"Apocalypso" track listing:

01. Poseidon (3:32)
02. Attila (feat. Stéphane Buriez) (4:06)
03. Derrière Les Portes De Babylone (feat. Myrath) (6:33)
04. Le Sacre Du Sorcier (5:08)
05. La Parade Des Centaures (feat. Stéphane Buriez) (2:59)
06. Walkyrie (4:20)
07. Encore Un Jour (4:45)
08. Trahison (3:40)
09. Vampire (4:02)
10. Apocalypso (feat. Kevin Codfert) (7:53)

Total: 46:58

In August 2021, SORTILÈGE released an album called "Phoenix" via Verycords/Warner. The effort featured 12 re-recorded songs from the SORTILÈGE catalog plus two new tracks.

Formed in 1981, SORTILÈGE released a self-titled EP in 1983 and followed it up with an amazing debut album, "Métamorphose", one year later. The two releases quickly gained cult status, and are now known as some of the most important — if not the most important — heavy metal releases from France.

Although SORTILÈGE's original albums all featured French lyrics (as did practically all French metal albums back in the '80s),English-language versions of the band's two albums ("Métamorphose" and 1986's "Larmes De Héros") were also made available.

SORTILÈGE was one of DEATH leader Chuck Schuldiner's favorite bands, and he proudly wore his SORTILÈGE t-shirt at various concerts prior to his untimely passing in 2001.

SORTILÈGE 2023 is:

Christian "Zouille" Augustin: Vocals
Bruno Ramos: Guitar
Olivier Spitzer: Guitar
Sébastien "Shag" Bonnet: Bass
Clément Rouxel: Drums

SEX PISTOLS bassist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Glen Matlock will release long-awaited solo album, "Consequences Coming", on April 27 via Cooking Vinyl. The music video for the first single from the LP, "Head On A Stick", can be seen below.

Matlock is a singer/songwriter/guitarist with a highly esteemed resume. The original bassist and songwriter of the SEX PISTOLS, Matlock is responsible for co-penning some of history's most iconic songs, "Anarchy In The UK", "God Save The Queen" and "Pretty Vacant". After his time with the SEX PISTOLS, Matlock went on to form several well-regarded bands including RICH KIDS (with Midge Ure). He has collaborated with such artists as Iggy Pop and PRIMAL SCREAM, and is also a highly in-demand player, playing live with the likes of the legendary reformed FACES. Additionally, Glen is currently the touring bass player for New York legends BLONDIE and is slated to appear on their forthcoming new 2023 studio album.

His persona these days may be that of a stylish rock gent, but as always the former icon of punk remains politically passionate. This album is nothing short of Glen's call to arms to tackle this current diabolical period of governance.

Matlock states about the "Head On A Stick" single: "Peeved at the predictable but ultimately pointless political lurch to the right that has happened in the West over the past few years. I put pen to paper and plectrum to guitar to compose a song that's a call to arms, a wake-up alarm and primal open-your-eyes scream."

Glen continues: "It might be easy to be wise after the event but some saw where we were headed and, in the words of 'Pete Seeger,' attempted to hammer out a warning. We always thought it can't happen here but it sadly most definitely has and heads should justifiably roll…"

A music video for the track is now available online. "The video was shot on the fly one afternoon in between touring dates with BLONDIE in the U.K.," states Matlock. "The guys who play on the forthcoming album all jumped at the chance to back me up in the video, and help get this pertinent point across about the parlous state of our present position."

"Consequences Coming" will be made available in digital and specially packaged CD format. The vinyl format is being made available with a limited-edition signed artprint.

"The album was written and recorded in Britain over the last 18 months or so with a posse of seasoned but on point performers." says Matlock. "All done during the debacle that is Brexit and the rise and fall of the turgid Trump episode in the U.S. These songs reflect my take on the whole sorry mess that has ensued."

Matlock elaborates on the album: "Now the wheels of the music business can sometimes move at a lugubrious, glacial pace, and sometimes the moment might be lost but seeing no break in the clouds or clear light at the end of the tunnel, surely the only demand on people's lips should be that there are 'Consequences Coming' for the fat headed oafs who have foisted their asinine warped sensibilities on us. The tunes are pretty catchy too…"

"Consequences Coming" track listing:

01. Head On A Stick
02. Consequences Coming
03. Magic Carpet Ride
04. Speaking In Tongues
05. Shine Off Your Shoes
06. Constant Craving
07. Step In The Right Direction
08. Something 'Bout The Weekend
09. This Empty Heart
10. Face In A Crowd
11. Tried To Tell You
12. Can't Be Myself With You
13. This Ship

Matlock's deal with Cooking Vinyl will also see the label re-release two of his previous solo albums: 2010's "Born Running" and 2018's critically acclaimed "Good To Go".

Photo credit: Danny Clifford

Progressive music icons CYNIC played their first show in eight years last night (Friday, January 27) at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, California. The "secret" gig, which saw CYNIC billed as UROBORIC FORMS, served as a warm-up performance for CYNIC's appearance on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which sets sail from Miami, Florida on January 30 through February 3.

CYNIC's lineup for last night's show featured Paul Masvidal on vocals and guitars, Max Phelps (EXIST, DEATH TO ALL) on additional guitars and vocals, Brandon Giffin (THE FACELESS, THE ZENITH PASSAGE) on bass, and Matt Lynch (NOVA COLLECTIVE, INTRONAUT) on drums and percussion. Lynch has been drumming with CYNIC since 2015 and appeared on the band's latest full-length, "Ascension Codes", as well as the 2018 single "Humanoid". Phelps, who also appeared on "Ascension Codes", and Giffin previously toured with CYNIC during the cycles in support of the "Carbon-Based Anatomy" EP and "Kindly Bent To Free Us" album.

Earlier today, Masvidal shared a poster for the Knitting Factory concert, and he included the following message: "So this happened... First CYNIC show after 8 years. It was a secret warm-up show before embarking on the @70000tons cruise and our show at @progpowerusa .

"We want to thank @max_phelps_exist @brandon.giffin.bass @rorschach.horseman and @mattlynchdrummer for being such amazing musicians and bandmates and @future_usses for supporting us in this crazy idea/show. Of course, thanks to everyone of you who could witness CYINIC LIVE for the first time in 8 years."

CYNIC's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm.

01. Veil Of Maya
02. Celestial Voyage (first performance since 2014)
03. The Eagle Nature (first performance since 2010)
04. Sentiment (first performance since 2010)
05. I'm But A Wave To... (first performance since 2010)
06. Uroboric Forms (first performance since 2010)
07. Textures (first performance since 2014)
08. How Could I (first performance since 2014)
09. Kindly Bent To Free Us
10. Adam's Murmur
11. Aurora (live debut)
12. Box Up My Bones (first performance since 2011)
13. Evolutionary Sleeper
14. DU-*61.714285 (live debut)
15. In A Multiverse Where Atoms Sing (live debut)

Video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Steve Joh).

As previously reported, CYNIC will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its seminal debut album, "Focus", by performing it in its entirety at70000 Tons Of Metal and at ProgPower USA festival on September 6 in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, CYNIC will pay homage to late members Sean Reinert and Sean Malone as these are the band's first live appearances since the musicians' passings. More anniversary and memorial tribute shows will be announced in the near future.

CYNIC recently released a fully instrumental version of "Ascension Codes" via Bandcamp and all streaming services.

Released in 1993, "Focus" is a certified classic. Although that era ended with transformation into the short-lived PORTAL, and then a further splinter toward AEON SPOKE, CYNIC's reunion-era has found them embraced in a way that proves how ahead of the times they were in the '90s. Through monuments such as the "Traced In Air" (2008) and "Kindly Bent To Free Us" (2014) albums, the "Carbon-Based Anatomy" and "Re-Traced" EPs, and a surprising rebirth with the "Humanoid" single of 2018, the CYNIC legacy remains untarnished.

The year 2020 will go down in history as a tremendously difficult time for the global human population. For the CYNIC family, the struggle was not restricted to a pandemic. It was two utterly senseless losses that threw the band's immediate concerns into the background: the premature deaths of drummer Sean Reinert in January, at age 48, and bassist Sean Malone in December, at age 50, were shocking and unthinkable.

Reinert, a founding CYNIC member since formation in 1988, was highly influential to a multitude of young drummers. His work on "Focus" and DEATH's watershed 1991 album "Human" found him sculpting extreme technical metal with a jazz fusion-inspired approach. Now taken for granted, that approach to the instrument and the genre was undoubtedly pioneered in large part by Reinert. Though parting with CYNIC in 2015, his imprint on CYNIC is inescapable.

The death of Sean Malone dealt another horrible layer of tragedy to CYNIC's 2020. In his many years with the band, Malone's virtuoso playing meshed intuitively with Reinert's. Together they formed a nucleus of kinetic, highly capable rhythmic dexterity that fueled CYNIC's celestial aims.

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So this happened...
First Cynic show after 8 years. It was a secret warm-up show before embarking on the @70000tons...

Posted by Cynic on Saturday, January 28, 2023

SKID ROW singer Erik Grönwall has shared his cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Painkiller". The track, which features Love Magnusson on lead guitar and Erik Modin on drums, was produced, mixed and mastered by Jona Tee.

Erik, who made his recording debut with SKID ROW on the recently released studio album, "The Gang's All Here", spoke to The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show about how he has been accepted by the band's fans since he joined the group earlier this year as the replacement for ZP Theart. He said: "There's so many different types of fans. I've realized that… 'Cause when we did the show in California, [some] people came up to me after the show, and they were, like, 'Sebastian [Bach], you've still got it.' [Laughs] Yeah, that happened. Then you have the fans who still think that Sebastian is in the band, and then you have the fans who know the whole story."

Erik went on to say that he isn't bothered by the fact that some fans are still clamoring for a reunion of the band's classic lineup.

"I understand the fan perspective of wanting the original lineup — I understand that — because I'm a Bon Scott guy myself," he explained, referencing AC/DC's late singer. "But I think that people are really excited about this new album, and I feel like even the people who want the original lineup are actually starting to approve."

He added: "When I joined this band, I realized that it's such a privilege to have people so interested in the band, talking about the band, discussing everything. A lot of bands would kill for that, and that's a privilege. You have all these people talking about SKID ROW and they like that singer or they like that song or they like that era, and that's just incredible, having people so excited about it or hating it. [Laughs]"

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT singer Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by Theart, the South African-born, British-based singer who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

"The Gang's All Here" arrived in October via earMUSIC. The group recorded most of the LP in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

Grönwall, who auditioned for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life", joined SKID ROW in January 2022. Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years, played his final gig with SKID ROW in February 2022 before being officially given the boot.

Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

In September 2021, Grönwall announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."

In September 2021, Grönwall released his cover version of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

The official music video for the song "Drowning Emotion" from VENAMORIS, the project featuring legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) and his wife Paula, can be seen below.

"Drowning Emotion" is taken from VENAMORIS's debut album, "Drown In Emotion", which will be released on February 10. The LP was recorded and produced at Ritmo Studio by Dave Lombardo. Drum overdubs were recorded at Studio 606. It was mixed at Ritmo Studio by David A. Lombardo and mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering.

"Drown In Emotion" features guest appearances by Tyler Bates (JERRY CANTRELL, MARILYN MANSON),Roberto "Ra" Díaz (KORN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES),Jack Gibson (EXODUS),George Pajon (BLACK EYED PEAS, CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT) and Tim Stewart (LADY GAGA, DAMNAGE).

Track listing:

01. Let Me Be
02. We Fall
03. This Is Me
04. Crimson Tears
05. Misguided
06. Drowning Emotion
07. I Love It
08. In My Silence
09. It's Gone
10. Tell Me How You Know
11. Oceans
12. So Good

Founded in 2021 by what can only be called, astral influence, VENAMORIS was launched a result of some persistent persuasion on Dave's part. The 57-year-old musician, who is in charge of drums and production on the record, explains: "Several months after meeting Paula in 2010, she hesitantly shared with me her past decade-long career as the lead backup singer for Wayne Newton. She later played me some of the demos she recorded throughout the years, and I was floored by her sonically soothing, rich tone and natural, instinctive ability to harmonize. I was determined to persuade her to return to her creative self. It's been a deeply gratifying journey witnessing this music come to life."

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Paula Lombardo, who performs vocals and piano for this project, bursts with vulnerability and intimacy, addressing a broad scope of emotion: anger, healing, pain, hope. It's evident that VENAMORIS was founded out of love, passion, communication, respect, and trust. One person thriving in music encouraged the other, who had abandoned music to find their way back. It is the result of many late nights with too much wine, and even more truth laid bare: an aural couple's journaling generously shared with the world.

Last month, Dave collaborated with his wife on a "love song" called "The Gift". On December 19, the Cuban-born musician shared an Andy Wallis-created video for the track via his YouTube channel, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "A romantic love song for the holiday season, written by my wife and I."

"The Gift" was written and recorded by Paula and Dave Lombardo and was mastered by John Golden of Golden Mastering.

During a recent question-and-answer session with the readers of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Lombardo was asked if he would have joined SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's new band had he been approached about it. He responded: "I knew that was coming. I am, right now, working on too many other projects and I wouldn't be able to accept. New DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE… the pandemic put a lot of stuff on hold, so we need to play some catch-up there. Besides that, he's got Paul Bostaph [playing with him], and I don't think he would have the need to ask me."

Lombardo was also asked if he would play with SLAYER again if the band reunited and wanted him to be part of the lineup. He said: "I don't think that's ever going to happen. But, yeah, I'd listen to whatever it is they had to say. That's it. You can't go any further than that."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT last year.

SOULFLY kicked off its massive U.S. tour this past Wednesday (January 25) at The Rock in Tucson, Arizona. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of Facebook user Jerry Colburn).

SOULFLY's 57-date trek will run through early April, and features support from Florida death metallers BODYBOX, Maryland progressive metallers HALF HEARD VOICES, Los Angeles industrialists DRIFT and Botswana metallers SKINFLINT.

Earlier this month, it was announced that SOULFLY had recruited Mike DeLeon as its guitarist for the current tour.

Prior to hooking up with SOULFLY, DeLeon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, which he joined in 2015 as the replacement for Marzi Montazeri. More recently, Mike filled in for Zakk Wylde at the first rehearsal for the fall 2022 PANTERA shows.

In August 2021, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the band's most recent run of shows.

SOULFLY is continuing to tour in support of its twelfth album, "Totem", which was released in August via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" was recorded at Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino and Arthur Rizk with assistance from John Powers. Produced by Max alongside Arthur Rizk (KREATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, CODE ORANGE),the LP boasts guest appearances from John Powers (ETERNAL CHAMPION),Chris Ulsh (POWER TRIP) and John Tardy (OBITUARY). Rizk was also responsible for playing lead guitar on the record. The artwork for the album was created by James Bousema.

Last August, SOULFLY guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera spoke to the "Talk Toomey" podcast about what it was like to make a SOULFLY album without Rizzo, who was in the band for 17 years before exiting the group. He said: "Whenever [anything] like that happens, it's an opportunity to do something different, bring in new blood. Especially [with] SOULFLY, there's always been that kind of motto of changing people from time to time.

"I love that the record had a little bit of struggle related [to it]. Those are some of my best records — the ones that are not easy sailing; they've got drama in it," he continued. "And 'Totem' is full of drama. The whole Rizzo thing was its own soap opera. It's, like, c'mon, man.

"So I saw this as an opportunity to do a couple of things. And we took the opportunity, as much as we could, by having Dino playing live [with SOULFLY]," he explained. "It was incredible. And then on the record itself, I had the opportunity to work with the ETERNAL CHAMPION guys, which I'm a big fan. And they kind bring that old-school heavy metal vibe to the solos — Arthur and John Powers. And I love it; I was totally on board with it. It sounded different, fresh and new and exciting. The stuff with Rizzo kind of was always the same — a lot of the stuff was sounding a lot the same — and this is new and different and exciting. And I felt fucking great when I was working on the songs and I would hear the solos coming in, and it was different and exciting. We just did whatever we could for the record.

"So there was a bit of a struggle because of the whole Rizzo thing, and that's kind of worked in the favor of the record, I think," Max added. "'Cause you don't wanna fuck with me, man. You don't. You fuck with me, yeah, there's payback. I just kind of go in that fucking warrior mode and get angry and pissed off and good shit comes out of it, musically talking. So the record has that little bit of anger, a little bit of fire."



Soulfly

Posted by Jerry Colburn on Wednesday, January 25, 2023



Soulfly

Posted by Jerry Colburn on Wednesday, January 25, 2023



Soulfly

Posted by Jerry Colburn on Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Legendary rockers JOURNEY played their first concert of 2023 last night (Friday, January 27) in Durant, Oklahoma. The two-hour performance at the 3,000-capacity Grand Theater at the Choctaw Casino & Resort marked the band's first appearance since JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain publicly feuded over several issues, including Neal allegedly causing over $1 million in personal expenses to be charged to the band's shared American Express card and Schon demanding that Cain stop playing events for former U.S. president Donald Trump.

JOURNEY will play a second show in Durant tonight (Saturday, January 28),before officially kicking off the main portion of its 50th-anniversary tour on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with TOTO once again on the bill.

JOURNEY's setlist for last night's concert was as follows:

01. Only The Young
02. Stone In Love
03. Don't Stop Believin'
04. Lights
05. Send Her My Love
06. Feeling That Way
07. Anytime
08. Escape
09. Dead Or Alive
10. Who's Crying Now
11. Mother, Father'
12. Let It Rain
13. Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
14. Open Arms
15. Faithfully
16. Girl Can't Help It
17. Wheel In The Sky
18. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
19. Be Good To Yourself
20. Any Way You Want It

Earlier this month, Cain filed a lawsuit against Schon over the guitarist's personal expenses which were allegedly charged to the American Express card, including $400,000 in a single month last year.

Cain's allegations come more than two months after Schon filed a lawsuit against his longtime bandmate, contending that he was being denied access to the American Express card.

In a countersuit filed in California state court, Cain said that during the first one-month billing cycle, after Schon obtained the AMEX card, Schon charged more than $50,000 in personal expenses for the billing period ending September 15, 2021. For the one-month billing period ending January 15, 2022, Schon allegedly charged more than $100,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. For the one-month billing period ending February 13, 2022, Schon allegedly charged approximately $30,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. For the one-month billing period ending March 16, 2022, Schon allegedly charged more than $400,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. The charges allegedly included $42,000 to various PayPal accounts, over $104,000 to Chrome Hearts (jewelry and apparel),more than $31,000 to the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City, and over $54,000 for his personal insurance premiums.

According to Cain's lawsuit, "Schon's charges placed considerable pressure on JOURNEY and its ability to cover normal tour expenses. Schon was spending JOURNEY's money, and Cain is the one who was and is ultimately liable for the AMEX Account and Schon's charges on the AMEX Card. Even with the $30,000 limit on Schon's card on the Nomota AMEX account," referring to the company Cain and Schon set up to operate the band, "Schon still managed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional, excessive personal expenses through other tour personnel and travel agents. For example, the budget allocated a maximum of $1,500 per night for hotel rooms for Schon and Cain. However, Schon demanded to stay in hotel suites that cost in excess of $5,000 per night. After the recent tour ended in Honolulu, Hawaii, Schon stayed an extra week in a hotel suite that cost $6,000 a night and charged more than $100,000 in expenses to the AMEX Account."

In a statement to Billboard, Schon's attorney Skip Miller called allegations "ridiculous" and "as phony as a three dollar bill." He said the countersuit was merely "sour grapes" after a recent incident in which Schon demanded that Cain stop playing for Trump. "We want Cain to just focus on JOURNEY and its fans," Miller said.

Last month, Cain fired back at Schon when the JOURNEY guitarist called him a "hypocrite" for performing the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain, whose wife, Paula White-Cain, is the former president's self-styled spiritual adviser, played the track in November with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

"Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the JOURNEY brand," Cain said in a statement. "I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his — and his wife's — bizarre behavior."

An attorney for Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain after he performed at Trump's Florida estate.

The latest legal move came a few weeks after Schon filed his lawsuit against Cain. Cain, for his part, accused Schon of misusing the card, citing his "excessive spending and extravagant lifestyle."

A month earlier, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry took legal action against both Schon and Cain, asking them to stop registering federal trademarks on the names of many of the band's hits.

Rolie was JOURNEY's first singer, though his role quickly diminished when Perry arrived in 1977. Gregg left JOURNEY in 1980, just before the band achieved its commercial heights.

Presented by AEG Presents, JOURNEY's tour with TOTO will make stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The "Freedom Tour 2023" run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.

"Oriental Beat" by HANOI ROCKS gets the redux treatment, officially mixed and revived from the original sessions, and released on March 17 on deluxe vinyl and CD.

Dubbed the "re(al)mix", this 40th anniversary edition was mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studios in Finland in collaboration with the band. Vocalist Michael Monroe calls this release "the longest and slowest album recording project ever," stating that "40 years in the making, it's not just a remix, but the REAL MIX supervised and approved by HANOI ROCKS".

Recorded in London, U.K. in 1981, for 200 pounds a day, "Oriental Beat" was made during the height of the British punk and new wave movement, when the band was hanging out with everyone from Phil Lynott to THE DAMNED.

HANOI ROCKS drummer Gyp Casino says of "Oriental Beat": "Back in the days we gave heart, soul and a bit of pain to make this record something else" but the sound of the album, originally released in 1982, did not match their efforts at the time. Bassist Sami Yaffa called it "the worst-sounding album of our career" and Monroe said that "the producer of the album didn't have a clue what the band was about, and his mix of the album was horribly wrong".

"Oriental Beat"'s original engineer Peter Wooliscroft was not a rock producer, and according to HANOI ROCKS's manager Richard Bishop, he "tried to mix the album to sound like SPANDAU BALLET".

Released before the band could remix or rerecord it, as the label had run out of money, and the master tapes had gone missing, the band has always considered the original mix of "Oriental Beat" to be a "disaster". With the tapes mysteriously showing up in the Universal vault recently, the band was finally able to mix and re-sequence the album the way they wanted it to sound.

"Oriental Beat" is a defining masterpiece made when HANOI ROCKS was about to explode onto the world scene and written at the absolute peak of lead guitarist Andy McCoy's creativity as a songwriter.

Rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide says "only now, with stripping it down to the bare essentials and tweaking it to bring out what was really laid down it became our dream come true! THIS is what it's all about" as this definitive edition of "Oriental Beat" now fully displays the ultimate arrogance and attitude which defined the band.

Monroe says: "Now, 40 years after its original release in 1982, we finally got the album sounding as great as it deserves, with no overdubs or samples," and McCoy adds that: "It's better now than ever. This is what it was meant to sound like. So enjoy it...another shot of HANOI ROCKS".

Following the massive success of their eleventh studio album "Ego Trip", Californian rockers PAPA ROACH have announced "Ego Trip" digital deluxe edition and the long-awaited release date of "Ego Trip" standard edition on vinyl. The 20-track digital deluxe release features remixed versions of songs from the original record, as well as new music. Out today is "Cut The Line" featuring BEARTOOTH.

Also available for pre-order is the long-awaited "Ego Trip" vinyl LP, in its second edition after offering exclusively for November's Black Friday Record Store Day. The worldwide release features the standard 14-track album in unique packaging with a pop-up "Ego Trip" roller coaster inside gatefold, amusement park map, and 140g vinyl LP in opaque black, "translucent purple" for indie retailers, "strawberry shortcake" available via the band’s merchandise store, and "yellow-and-black swirl" exclusively on tour, the latter two variants including a special seven-inch featuring two acoustic tracks. "Strawberry shortcake" is available now for preorder at www.paparoach.com

PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix comments: "This album has been a journey for us — from recording the album in 2020 to having two No. 1 hit singles last year, to adding one of our favorite bands BEARTOOTH to this track, all for the first time on our own label. These songs rip and we're stoked get them out there. It's been one hell of an ego trip! See what I did there!?"

Next month PAPA ROACH will hit the road for the second leg of the "Rockzilla" tour. A co-headline run with FALLING IN REVERSE and featuring special guest HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and opener ESCAPE THE FATE, this sequel will kick off in Rochester, New York on February 1 and will include stops in 21 cities across the U.S., many of which are sold out or low on tickets.

PAPA ROACH will be traveling abroad later this year for a string of U.K. dates with DON BROCO and DANCE GAVIN DANCE, the co-headline "Cut My Heart Into Pieces" Australian trek with THE USED, followed by summer festival appearances in Europe.

"Ego Trip" deluxe track listing:

01. Kill The Noise
02. Stand Up
03. Swerve (feat. Fever 333 and Sueco)
04. Bloodline
05. Liar
06. Ego Trip
07. Unglued
08. Dying To Believe
09. Killing Time
10. Leave A Light On
11. Always Wandering
12. No Apologies
13. Cut The Line
14. I Surrender
15. Spotlight (Demo)
16. Swerve (Rockzilla Remix) (with HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD)
17. Cut The Line (feat. BEARTOOTH)
18. Stand Up (feat. The Battle Drum Marching Band)
19. Stand Up (Bloody Beatroots Remix)
20. Dying to Believe (Acoustic)

Press photo courtesy of Bryson Roatch / Big Picture Media

In a new interview with Big Rig of the West Palm Beach, Florida's 98.7 The Gator radio station, KISS frontman Paul Stanley spoke about the importance of aiming high in one's career planning but at the same time setting the goals that one can realistically achieve. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In this case, what I can do, you might not be able to do in 10 years or in a hundred years. And vice versa — there's things that I'm just not equipped to do. If I had decided to pursue becoming a mathematician, I'd be homeless.

"I think at some point, each one of us has to do some sort of self-assessment — brutally honest — of what we are capable of and what's out of reach," he continued. "And if you choose to pursue something that's out of reach, you're an idiot.

"As far as I know, we have one time on this earth, and time is precious. It only becomes more precious as time goes on. So I think it's always important to chase something that's realistic. It doesn't have to be realistic for the person next to you, but you have to believe that you can do it.

"I still remember being in high school, and I certainly don't advocate someone else doing this, but I remember one of my teachers saying to me, 'Why aren't you doing the work?' And I said, 'Well, I'm gonna be a rock star.' And they said, 'Everybody wants to be a rock star.' And I said, 'Yeah, but I'm going to be.'

"So you can either delude yourself, which is insanity, or you can give the full-court press to what you believe you're capable of doing," Stanley added. "And the obstacles, you only see them when you lose sight of where you're going."

Next month, Stanley will appear at showings of his latest art collection at Wentworth Gallery locations in Florida, Maryland and Virginia. During the trek, he will present works from his "Black Series", which features new original paintings, hand-painted guitars, works on metal and more.

Stanley designed and created the iconic KISS emblem which remains universally recognized as one of the greatest logos of the 20th century. His artistic and visual input has been and continues to be seen in his designs of KISS album covers, performance stages and apparel.

Stanley returned to his passion for painting 10 years ago by creating portraits and abstracts that are emotionally charged compositions. His tremendous success with his artwork has led to an entirely new fan and media presence. He maximizes the direct and powerful impact of his paintings through scale, texture, color and simplicity of imagery.

Stanley's works have been praised by well-known and distinguished art concerns and acquired by fans, celebrities and art collectors worldwide. Stanley's works have been coveted by collectors as evidenced by consecutive sell-out art shows with total sales in the tens of millions. Additionally, the artist has been commissioned to create numerous large works that are on exhibition globally.

Ronnie Romero says he contemplated committing suicide twice over Internet critiques of his performances with the Ritchie Blackmore-led RAINBOW, with whom he played live shows between 2015 and 2019.

In a recent interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Romero, who is originally from Chile but is now settled in Romania after living in Madrid, Spain for a number of years, was asked whether he paid attention to social media chatter over his ascension to one of rock's most coveted vocal positions in RAINBOW. "I did in the past," he said. "It was really bad for me. Honestly, you have a guy, a South American guy, who moved to Europe to have a chance in life. Not even in music, but to have a chance to do better. Suddenly you are in the spotlight and you have a lot of people talking about you in a good way but also in a bad way. I was paying a lot of attention. It gave me a lot of stress and frustration. It was a moment in my life, also, in my personal life, when I got divorced almost three years ago. It was really hard for me.

"This is the first time I'm going to say it: I intended to commit suicide two times," he continued. "It was really hard times. I was paying too much attention to what people were talking about me. From that point, I needed to release a little bit on social media. I tried to do my best. People are going to criticize me anyway. The times we live in, everybody thinks they are entitled to say whatever they want. I'm pretty much okay with criticism of my career, vocals and talent. It's okay for me if you say, ‘I don't like this album. I don't like your songs. I don't like how you sing. You are not a good singer.' That's okay. It's part of the game when you are in the music business. But when people go on the personal side, it's not cool. I tell you, it was really hard for me to manage."

Romero was then asked what he did to change his mindset and ignore online detractors. "I had my wife with me at that moment and she was helping me a lot," he said. "And a couple of friends. It was because of them. Otherwise, you will be talking about the anniversary of my passing away. [Laughs] I'm just enjoying it now. If you go to my socials, everything is about fun. It's about my dogs, my [new] wife, my free time, music with my friends. I'm trying to enjoy [life] and do what I like. If the people like it, that's pretty cool. If people don't like it, I'm still okay with it."

In addition to Blackmore and Romero, the current incarnation of RAINBOW includes STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT) and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

Romero is currently promoting his second compilation of cover songs, "Raised On Heavy Radio", in which he pays tribute to OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, ACCEPT, METALLICA and more. Special guests on the album include Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE),Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, SPIRITS OF FIRE),Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, HELLOWEEN) and more.

Romero is also part of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and ELEGANT WEAPONS, the new band featuring guitarist Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST).