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).

In a new interview with The Metal Mixtape, former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens spoke about how he handles online criticism and whether he ever engages with Internet trolls. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's crazy. The time and effort you put into this, and then you have people who just tear you down for no reason. When you read comments of fans, and they… Listen, you don't have to like me or like my singing, but to say that I suck or I don't have stage presence or these other things, you're wrong. You're just fucking saying that. If you don't anything good to say, don't say it at all. I would never go on somebody's page and say, 'You're not a good singer' or 'Your album stinks.' But you've gotta deal with that stuff. I don't usually read it.

"As an example, I just lost some weight," he continued. "I've been working out. Since the summer I've lost 50 pounds. I worked hard at it, and I go to the gym every day. And I finally read some comments on [the story that] Blabbermouth [did on my weight loss]. And the first comments were, 'He looks like shit,' 'He's on heroin,' 'He's doing cocaine,' blah blah blah. 'What does this have to do with metal?' I don't know. [Maybe because] I'm a metal singer.

"I usually don't read comments," Owens added. "I think the problem is you get 90 percent great comments, but the main ones you see, and it gets in your mind, is the bad comments. People can say all night long, 'You sounded great. You sang great.' And then somebody comes up and says, 'Yeah, you're not that good.' [Laughs] But you've just gotta take that. It's part of it, and I try not to read all the comments. Most of the time I will go back to people with humor. And then they get mad at you. If you comment back to them in a negative way, people get mad that you actually comment back to them in a negative way. I'm, like, 'Wait a minute. You just came at me. Why are you mad at me?' 'Well, you shouldn't do that.' I'm, like, 'Ah…' I don't know. It is what it is."

Owens went on to say that part of the problem is that a lot of people don't read the articles and just react to sensational headlines.

"When they read articles and it's on there, and they read the headline, they don't even read [the stories]," he said. "The big example was that thing on Blabbermouth [about my weight loss], when they picked that up, which was a nice thing they picked up and it was a nice headline, so it wasn't like they were tricking people, people were, like, 'Now he's gotta lift weights and get muscle.' I'm, like, it says right in the thing, on Instagram, I'm going to the gym, and I have been forever, but I go to the gym every single morning and do cardio and lift [weights]. But they don't read the whole thing, so they just [say], 'This is what you've gotta do now.' Well, thank you, Einstein. I appreciate it."

Owens recently released a solo EP, "Return To Death Row". The effort was produced by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Nick Bellmore (JASTA, DEE SNIDER). Players on the EP, which contain Owens's "heaviest songs yet," include Nick Bellmore, Charlie Bellmore (DEE SNIDER, ex-TOXIC HOLOCAUST) on guitar, and Chris Beaudette (JASTA, ENTEIRRO) on bass.

Owens is currently the frontman of KK'S PRIEST, featuring fellow former JUDAS PRIEST member K.K. Downing.

Owens joined PRIEST after being discovered when the band's drummer, Scott Travis, was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Rob Halford.

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Halford in 2003.

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's 2021 limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs.

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

Asked in a new interview with Ultimate Guitar if he and Ellefson have received any feedback from MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine about their new band or their recent live shows, tour, Young said: "Nah, we couldn't care less… and it's a win-win for him. Because all the publishing, for example, on the 'Best Of The West', he's getting all that money. We're making him money and he doesn't have to do anything. So, we're performing the songs because they're part of our history and the fans want to hear them and we will benefit from that, and so will he, so it's a win-win. How much cooler can anything be than that? So, if he has something to say about it… I wouldn't imagine it would be very objective… not that anything he's ever said has been objective."

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

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

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

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

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

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH more than a year and a half ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KINGS OF THRASH recently announced the first leg of a planned 2023 world tour, commencing February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The "Thrashin' USA" trek will cross the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, will be performing "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety. Support on all shows will come from HATRIOT.

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

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

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

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

W.A.S.P. wrapped up its first U.S. tour in 10 years with a sold-out show on December 11 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. This marked the 18th sold-out shows for the U.S. tour, which kicked off in late October. W.A.S.P.'s performances included the return of the band's classic song "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)", which hadn't been played live in over 15 years.

The European leg of the 40th-anniversary world tour begins March 17 with a sold-out show in Manchester, England. Five new shows have been added to the trek, with additional dates in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Because of fan demand, the VIP meet-and-greets with W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless that the fans loved in the U.S. will now also be offered on the European tour.

Tickets previously purchased for the 2022 European tour that was rescheduled to 2023 are valid for the new dates. Contact your venue if you have any questions. Tickets for the new shows and VIP tickets will go on sale January 27, along with tickets for all the shows in Sweden that had been on hold due to a change in promoter.

Looking back on the U.S. tour, Lawless said: "There have been a number of times in my life when I was caught between agony and ecstasy, many times while either making a record that had great meaning for me or a tour that was truly memorable. But the U.S. tour that we just finished has been a joy I've not felt since the first tour we did in '84-'85. When that first tour was over, I felt like a little kid that had his brand new toy taken away from him. When I got up on Elvis [Blackie's mic stand] at the end of the last show finale, I stayed up on him longer than I normally do. I held that pose for what seemed like forever, and in my mind, it was a blur and I was flashing in my head all the shows we had just done and how desperately I wished this tour would just keep going and going. I've never wanted something not to end so badly before… even more than the first world tour in '84-'85.

"I've been blessed with a good memory, and as I was on Elvis, I could see the faces of many of you that were at these shows. In a flash it flooded my head and I just wanted to stay up there.

"When we played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville a couple of weeks ago, it had a profound effect on myself and the whole band. We knew we were standing on sacred ground. Where I was standing and singing was the exact spot where Loretta Lynn's body had been lying at her funeral just a couple of weeks before. She was music royalty; she was true greatness…. the Coal Miner's Daughter.

"That was an emotional night for us and from that moment on for the rest of the tour, we all kept talking about how we absolutely did not want this tour to end. In these shows we got an awful lot of love from all you guy's and it was so heavy when we'd stand on stage it felt like we could cut it with a knife. Something truly special happened between all of you and us on this tour. More than I've ever felt before in my entire career.

"Additionally, I must take a couple of minutes to address the meet-and-greets. I had never done these before. Especially not where I could have a real dialog with those who were there. In the course of the 30-plus gatherings, I learned more about your true feelings than I've ever learned before. Someone might say I should have started doing them several years ago. If I did, I don't believe it would have had the same effect because the things I was hearing from you was an accumulation of years and years of you studying those lyrics and having the space to let them speak to you that only time can do. Time to let you really reflect on how it's spoken to your lives. The looks on your faces when you spoke was at times for me a frustration that is difficult to express, because mere words cannot paint the raw emotions I was feeling from many of you. And I'm supposed to be the writer here!

"The European leg of the 40th-anniversary world tour begins March 17th in Manchester, England. Like most of the shows here in the U.S., Manchester now shares the two most beautiful words in show business, 'Sold Out'.

"Yes, we're coming to hit you, we're coming to hurt you…as this traveling Circus Insane Asylum Rolls On….and I CANNOT WAIT to start it all again!"

Lawless has led W.A.S.P. as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold-out shows across the globe for four decades. He is joined by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band span 26 and 18 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.

W.A.S.P.'s latest release was "ReIdolized (The Soundtrack To The Crimson Idol)", which came out in February 2018. It was a new version of the band's classic 1992 album "The Crimson Idol", which was re-recorded to accompany the movie of the same name to mark the 25th anniversary of the original LP's release. The re-recorded version also features four songs missing from the original album.

W.A.S.P.'s most recent studio album of all-new original material was 2015's "Golgotha".

W.A.S.P.'s first live performance since December 2019 took place on July 23, 2022 at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden.

An official book about legendary singer and bassist John Wetton is available for pre-order at www.johnwettonbook.com.

The sign-up is now open for people to be a part of this much-anticipated book created with John's family and management. Some seventy-plus people who knew and worked with John, from his school days through FAMILY, KING CRIMSON, URIAH HEEP, WISHBONE ASH, ROXY MUSIC, UK, ASIA, the John Wetton solo band and beyond, pay witness and tribute to his life and work. Among those quoted along with his family are Steve Howe, Phil Manzanera, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Carl Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Dave Kilminster, Geoff Downes (who also wrote the preface) and many, many more.

Among the stories of friendship, music and sometimes craziness are reflections on what made John Wetton such an unforgettable musician and prog rock legend.

Along with stories of John's musical success are those from friends and family who do not steer clear of his problems, but rather explain the why, the how, and eventual triumph over them in honest and touching recollections. Along with the stories are personal and classic photos of John at work and play in two extensive photo sections of "An Extraordinary Life".

Downes said: "He had a love for fast cars, fine food, coffee, the Rams (that's Derby County for non-football followers),films, books, crosswords, current affairs, sport, languages, classical music — anything that would stimulate his mind that he could use to great effect in his music and lyrics."

Wetton died in January 2017 after a long and courageous battle against colon cancer.

John rose to fame with KING CRIMSON in the early 1970s during the iconic "Red" era and later formed the band UK. In the early 1980s, he was a founder member of supergroup ASIA which was his biggest commercial success. The band's 1982 self-titled debut album was the biggest-selling album in the world that year and gave fans and mainstream radio the mega-hit "Heat Of The Moment".

John also enjoyed a successful solo career, including the seminal album "Battle Lines", and formed ICON with ASIA bandmate Geoff Downes. In 2006, the original lineup of ASIA reformed and toured the world several times to promote four new studio albums.

John had been planning to tour with ASIA for the band's U.S. arena tour with JOURNEY and, following the success of his solo "Studio Recordings Anthology", to continue working on the ongoing re-issue program of his solo albums, via his own Primary Purpose label.

John valued his over 11 years of sobriety and volunteered time in fellowship with other alcoholics to share his experience, strength and hope with them.

The very last studio song of Wetton's career was the closing track on the ASIA album "Gravitas" and included the profound lyrics "Think the best of me, 'till we meet again."

Celebrating one of the most pivotal entries in the history of great British rock and prog albums, WISHBONE ASH's legendary LP "Argus" gets a 50th-anniversary multi-format box set release on April 14, 2023 through Madfish.

Complete with its indelible Hipgnosis-designed album sleeve, 1972's "Argus" saw WISHBONE ASH (Andy Powell, Martin Turner, Steve Upton and Ted Turner) mix hard rock, blues, folk and elements of prog to create an anthemic album of resounding quality. "Argus" was the group's third studio LP and undoubtedly the classic album within the band's '70s canon. It is not only the biggest-selling album of their career, featuring the beloved fan favorite "Blowin' Free", but full of memorable and timeless tunes such as "The King Will Come", "Time Was", "Warrior" and "Throw Down The Sword". Widely considered a vital moment in the progression of twin-lead guitar harmonization, Andy Powell and Ted Turner's pioneering twin lead attack left an indelible stamp on the likes of THIN LIZZY, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. It was also a technique deployed by STEELY DAN for their own 1972 hit "Reelin' In The Years".

Madfish presents the most complete edition of this album to date. Each "Argus 50th Anniversary" box set contains:

* 3 CDs: Martin Turner's "Argus" remaster, "Live At The Alexandra Palace 1973 & Memphis 1972". Also features 4 previously unreleased early version demos.
* 2 LPs: Original "Argus" replica, remastered for this release + "Argus Live" on yellow vinyl (selected recordings from "Alexandra Palace & Memphis").
* DVD: French & Swiss TV footage, "Live from the Rainbow 1973 & RTS Broadcast From 1974".
* 7" Red vinyl Single of "Blowin' Free".
* Featuring a 48-page book with rare photographs and extensive liner notes with contributions from Andy Powell, Martin Turner and Steve Upton.
* Numbered certificate of authenticity

Pre-orders are available from Madfish.

WISHBONE ASH achieved considerable success in the 1970s, during which they were among England's most popular hard rock acts, achieving an impressive eight Top 40 albums. Often regarded as one of the premiere U.K. live acts of the '70s, they toured throughout this period and into the following decades.

1972 was one of rock music's most memorable years for regal releases, a golden age of classic albums — "Exile On Main Street", "Machine Head", "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars", "All The Young Dudes", "Roxy Music", "Can't Buy A Thrill", "Sailin' Shoes", "Foxtrot", "Demons And Wizards", "Transformer" and "Barnstorm" — by rock royalty THE ROLLING STONES, DEEP PURPLE, DAVIE BOWIE, MOTT THE HOOPLE, ROXY MUSIC, STEELY DAN, LITTLE FEAT, GENESIS, URIAH HEEP, Lou Reed and Joe Walsh. Not least among these amazing artists and records was WISHBONE ASH and their groundbreaking album "Argus".

As they reigned supreme through the '70s, WISHBONE ASH was centered on inspired musicianship, joyful spirit and inventive songs. Their concerts were uplifting and their recorded work sublime. "Argus" remains a stunning highpoint in the band's startling repertoire. This is a vital addition to the WISHBONE ASH catalog.

In a new interview with "Good Company With Scott Bowling", SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery spoke about the band's recently completed fourteenth studio album. The follow-up to 2020's "Blood & Stone" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

Asked if SEVENDUST has a release date for the new LP, Clint said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We don't have a date. We have a region, like maybe this summer. There'll be music rolling out pretty soon in the next couple of months."

He added: "I'm really excited about this record. We did that with Elvis Baskette. He's got his vibe. And this will be our third record with him.

Lowery went on to say that he has had to step away from the new SEVENDUST album after it was completed.

"I've listened to it, I've not liked it, I loved it, I hated it, and then I fell back in love with it," he explained.

"When I'm finished with a record, I really… That one took a lot out of me creatively, which is amazing that I even went for [a new solo] EP to do myself [shortly after finishing the SEVENDUST LP], 'cause I was kind of tapped out creatively. I couldn't even listen to the record afterwards. It was mixed and I heard it, and Elvis did a great job, but it was, like, 'I've gotta put it away for a while.' And I put it on the other day to listen to it, and I'm, 'Oh, man, this is gonna be good. People are gonna really dig it.' I think it's one of the best [records] we've done in a while, man."

Last June, SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose said that the writing session for the band's upcoming album was his "favorite" of SEVENDUST's career. "Just 5 guys in a farm house, creating," he wrote on Instagram. "Telling each other how much we love each other, supporting each other, enjoying being together. No outsiders, no drama, no bullshit. Just us…. The songs are magical, the vibe of the record is magical, our relationship with each other is magical."

SEVENDUST recently completed two legs of its tour celebrating the 21st anniversary of its "Animosity" album.

In December 2021, SEVENDUST released a digital expanded edition of "Blood & Stone". "Blood & Stone Deluxe" contained five new tracks, including three never-before-released remixes and two newly recorded songs. Jake Bowen of PERIPHERY, Richard Wicander of FIRE FROM THE GODS and Justin deBlieck, formerly of ICE NINE KILLS, provided remixes and the band finished recording "All I Really Know" and "What You Are" specifically for this release. "Blood & Stone Deluxe" was released via all digital partners via Rise Records.

Also last June, Rose told "The Jasta Show" that SEVENDUST wouldn't hit the road in support of its next studio album until 2023. He also revealed that "there's not gonna be many [tours] left, I'll just tell you that. I'm gonna be the one to let all the cats out of the bag, but I can just tell you that we're not gonna be around, full-fledged, forever, that's for sure," he added cryptically.

In March 2022, SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon told St. Louis Post-Dispatch that "Blood & Stone" showed SEVENDUST is "still standing the test of time. It was great to do the album with [Baskette] in Florida again. It was a good time. We wanted to hit [listeners] hard and let them know we still got it and that we're not afraid to put slower songs out there too."

As for the decision to release a "deluxe" version of the LP, Lajon said: "We wanted to put some extra songs out there, B-sides that people hadn't heard. It's a little more of a treat."

Clint will release a new solo EP, titled "Ghostwriter", on February 17 via Dark Blanket Records. The five-track effort will be the follow-up to his debut solo album, "God Bless The Renegades", which came out in January 2020 via Rise Records.

Canadian bashers, Sven Gali, have released a music video for "Monster", a track from their new album, Bombs And Battlescars, due this spring (details to follow).





The song was produced by Andy Curran (Coney Hatch), and the video was produced by AP Media LIVE.







In other news, Sven Gali have confirmed their appearance at the upcoming Sound Of Music Festival, taking place June 11 - 18 at Spencer Smith Park in downtown Burlington, Ontario (Canada). Lee Aaron will also be performing at the fest. Details here.



Sven Gali lineup:


Dave Wanless – Vocals
Andy Frank – Guitars
Shawn Minden – Bass
Sean Williamson – Guitars
Dan Fila – Drums

Drummer Thomen Stauch​​​​ (Mentalist, ex- Blind​​​​ Guardian) is back with a new video, this time performing an alternate drum cover of Jethro Tull's "Jack-A-Lynn". Watch below.





Thomen's previous drum cover videos are available below:

In a new interview with Sam Wall, WINGER guitarist John Roth spoke about the band's recently recorded seventh studio album. He said: "It'll be out on Frontiers [Music Srl] in May or June; we don't have a release date yet. [There's] 12 songs on the album. One song's a pretty big surprise.

"To me at least, there's always a song on a WINGER album that comes at you from left field," he explained. "Like on 'Karma', we did a blues song — Kip [Winger, WINGER frontman] and I co-wrote a song called 'After All This Time'. On 'Better Days Comin'', the title track, 'Better Days Comin'', it's kind of funky and it's fun and it's different for WINGER; WINGER's a pretty heavier, darker, metal-ish kind of band. So there's a song on this album that's very different for the band, which is cool.

"It's meticulously produced and recorded, [with] tons of layers of background vocals," he added. "It's heavier lyrically, maybe. All of WINGER's records have a heavier overtone, because the guitars are tuned low; it's just more aggressive. And there's a little bit of a progressive flair on one of the songs. But I think people are gonna really enjoy the album. I hope it's well received."

Roth also spoke in more detail about the WINGER songwriting process, saying: "Well, Kip and Reb [Beach, guitar] are the primary songwriters of the band; they are the nucleus. But I did co-write one song on this album with Kip.

"With WINGER, it normally starts [as] the musical idea. A lot of people write from lyrics and melodies. Most of the songs I write, I have a melody or a lyric which is like the nucleus or the starting point for a song. But with WINGER, it's a riff, it's a musical idea.

"I remember when I was first co-writing with Kip on some songs on 'Better Days Comin'', we're not demoing the songs. We're writing 'em; we're recording the actual songs," he explained. "So, I'm looking at him, going, 'How do you know that you just want one more bar here?' He's, like, 'I hear where I wanna go with the lyrics.' And I'm, like, ''Cause you're making a lot of really big-time decisions for the arrangement,' and we're recording final guitar parts and the lyrics have to revolve around it.

"So everything starts with the music with WINGER," Roth added. "But as the songs are being written and the riffs are coming about, the melodies are in Kip's head. Kip's the maestro, you know? He's the maestro of the band. So he's thinking as we're writing — what the melodies are gonna [be], how they're gonna work around the riffs, and inevitably making final judgment calls on the arrangement as we're cutting the songs. [It] used to be you'd demo songs. You'd demo a song out, and sometimes you couldn't beat the demo. You'd be, like, 'There's a magic on the demo we cannot beat.' So WINGER really doesn't have that problem anymore 'cause as we're writing the songs, we're cutting the final parts."

Asked if he enjoys working that way, Roth said: "I like it. I like it, 'cause stuff moves fast. It's quick. It's exciting. Because a song can sit there when you're layering parts on a song for months at a time. It can get a little bit too thought out, you know what I mean? So when you're writing and you're creating the song, the final [album version], when you're writing [and recording it] instead of coming up with the demo [first], it's exciting. Things move fast."

WINGER's next LP will be the follow-up to 2014's "Better Days Comin'".

In December 2020, Beach described the new WINGER material to the 213Rock Podcast by saying: "It's WINGER — heavy riffs with big vocals. Very catchy songs and very heavy stuff — very progressive."

A month earlier, Beach told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that he and Kip had initially pieced together ideas for 11 tracks for WINGER's next album, but that Kip "threw away six of 'em, saying that this has to be like the first BOSTON record where every song is undeniable. And he just wants it to be progressive and like nothing he's hard before," he said. "I brought him these riffs that are just straight-ahead rock riffs, and he said, 'I already know what the next three chords are gonna be after I've heard three chords.'

"We're going for something that's poppy and sing-along stuff yet cool, heavy, progressive riffs — kind of like [2009's] 'Karma'," Reb explained. "That's what we're going for."

In the spring of 2020, WINGER invited artists, friends and fans — including Alice Cooper and members of SCORPIONS, STEELHEART and WARRANT — to sing along to "Better Days Comin'", the title track of the band's sixth studio album. An official music video for the new version of the song was made available in late April of that year.

WINGER formed in the late 1980s and soared to immediate success with its 1988 self-titled release. The album spawned the hit singles "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak" and achieved platinum sales status. "Winger" also stayed on The Billboard 200 chart for over 60 weeks where it peaked at #21. Their next album, "In The Heart Of The Young", also achieved platinum status behind the singles "Can't Get Enuff" and "Miles Away". The change in musical climate of the mid-'90s, compounded with unprovoked ridicule on MTV's popular "Beavis And Butt-Head" show, led the band to go on hiatus in 1994. In 2001, WINGER reunited and has not looked back since. Kip also earned a 2016 Grammy nomination for the classical album "C.F. Kip Winger: Conversations With Nijinsky", recorded with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.