Frontiers Music Srl announces the upcoming release of Cross Country Driver's The New Truth on March 17.


Written and performed by Rob Lamothe (Riverdogs), James Harper (Fighting Friday), and Zander Lamothe (Logan Staats Band), The New Truth is an old-school-rock rollercoaster of an album. A single and video for the track "A Man With No Direction" featuring dUg Pinnick is out today. Watch the clip below.


This gutsy, continent-and-generation-spanning musical adventure features inspired performances not only from the aforementioned trio at the core of Cross Country Driver, but by friends such as Mike Mangini (Dream Theater), Greg Chaisson (Badlands), dUg Pinnick (King's X), Rhonda Smith (Jeff Beck), Jimmy Wallace (The Wallflowers), KFigg (Extreme) and more.




Two-and-a-half years in the making, The New Truth was mixed by Grammy-award winning musician/mixer/engineer/producer Nick Brophy.


Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard, Last In Line, Riverdogs) joins on guitar and vocals on "Risen" and summed up the album best when he said, “Lush, rich, deep and spirited. No one makes records like this anymore. Bravo!”


Rob Lamothe has shared stages with everyone from Guns N’ Roses to members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He has toured throughout Europe close to 30 times now. Riverdogs, Rob’s Los Angeles-based rock band, reached global cult status three decades ago and found a new generation of listeners after signing with Frontiers Music Srl a couple years ago for the release of the album, 'California', which received critical acclaim from media and fans alike.


James Harper has been a mainstay in the New England music scene for over 20 years and is known for his high energy performances and chameleon-like ability to play and write in any style. He has performed thousands of shows with one of Boston’s best bands, Fighting Friday, and has written and released countless songs with them, as well as Funk Piranha, The Funeral Puppets and others.


Pre-order/save The New Truth here.





The New Truth tracklisting:


"Wild Child" ft. Mike Mangini, Greg Chaisson, & Jimmy Wallace
"So Fly" ft. Greg Chaisson, Jim Hoke, & Jimmy Wallace
"A Man With No Direction" ft. dUg Pinnick & Jesse O’Brien
"Traces Of The Truth" ft. Greg Chaisson & Jimmy Wallace
"I Won't Look Back" ft. dUg Pinnick
"Rio Tularosa" ft. Mike Mangini & dUg Pinnick
"Shine" ft. Mike Mangini, Greg Chaisson, & Jimmy Wallace
"Off The Rails" ft. Rhonda Smith & Jimmy Wallace9. Long Gone ft. Kfigg, Greg Chaisson, Carl Ayotte & Jimmy Wallace
"Real Love" ft. Mark Hill, Chad Cromwell & Jimmy Wallace
"Risen" ft. Vivian Campbell & Rhonda Smith
"Everything Forgiven" ft. Rhonda Smith & Jimmy Wallace
"My Goodness" ft. Justine Fischer


"A Man With No Direction" video:





Lineup:


Rob Lamothe - Vocals, Guitar
James Harper - Guitar
Zander Lamothe - Drums

Warner Music Group's global catalog division has announced the acquisition of the recorded music rights and income streams from YES's Atlantic Records-era catalog. More than 50 years after the British group's debut, YES remains one of the most successful, respected, and influential rock bands of all time, with more than 30 million albums sold worldwide.

This acquisition continues a longstanding relationship between the band and Warner Music that now spans over a half-century, beginning with YES's self-titled 1969 Atlantic debut album. The deal encompasses landmark works such as "Fragile", "Close To The Edge" and "90125". The full purchase includes 12 studio albums, as well as live recordings and compilations.

In making the announcement, Kevin Gore, Warner Music's president of global catalog, said: "My introduction to YES came while working at a record store in Ohio in 1983. I loved the '90125' album and went to see the band live, where I was introduced to their catalog of incredible songs. I've been a fan ever since and we're absolutely thrilled and deeply honored that the strong relationship between YES and Warner Music will continue forever."

The band added in a joint statement: "The entire YES family came together and worked enthusiastically with Warner Music Group to secure this historic deal, ensuring that these iconic recordings will continue to be curated in the optimum manner to delight their fans across more than five decades, while also finding and developing new audiences for this timeless music."

YES is among the most enduring, ambitious, and virtuosic bands in music history, with a dedicated legion of fans across the globe. When the progressive rock pioneers joined the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, RUSH's Geddy Lee noted in his induction speech: "The music of YES is still echoing down through the years, showing me that music truly is a continuum."

The original members of YES — bassist Chris Squire, singer Jon Anderson, drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardist Tony Kaye — came together in 1968. In early 1969, the band auditioned at London's Speakeasy Club for Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who immediately signed them up. Later that year, the group released its self-titled debut, mixing original material with totally reworked versions of songs by groups like THE BYRDS and THE BEATLES.

YES became an international arena band after Steve Howe joined in 1970 for "The Yes Album" and Rick Wakeman in 1971 for "Fragile". The band's sound evolved and its songs became more ambitious as they adopted a symphonic approach to their music and explored more enigmatic themes with their lyrics. Drummer Alan White joined in 1972 after the recording of "Close To The Edge". This era saw YES build a huge global following, enjoying both critical and commercial success thanks to a string of now-classic albums: "The Yes Album" (platinum),"Fragile" (double platinum),"Close To The Edge" (platinum),the double album "Tales From Topographic Oceans" (gold),"Relayer" (gold),"Going For The One" (gold) and "Tormato" (platinum). The 1970s also produced some of YES's best-loved tracks, including "I've Seen All Good People", "Starship Trooper", "Roundabout" and "Heart Of The Sunrise", along with album-side length epics like "Close To The Edge" and "The Gates Of Delirium".

A new YES incarnation was born in 1983 when Anderson, Squire, White, and original keyboardist Tony Kaye were joined for the first time by guitarist Trevor Rabin. The landmark album "90125" was certified triple platinum and produced the band's first and only No. 1 hit, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart". An instrumental track on the album, "Cinema", would go on to win the Grammy Award for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance". In 1987, YES released its final album for Atlantic, "Big Generator". It was certified platinum and featured the radio hits "Love Will Find A Way" and "Rhythm Of Love".

Studio albums, live recordings, and compilations included in the deal:

* Yes (1969)
* Time And A Word (1970)
* The Yes Album (1971)
* Fragile (1971)
* Close To The Edge (1972)
* Yessongs (1973)
* Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973)
* Relayer (1974)
* Yesterdays (1975)
* Going For The One (1977)
* Tormato (1978)
* Drama (1980)
* Yesshows (1980)
* Classic Yes (1981)
* 90125 (1983)
* 9012Live: The Solos (1985)
* Big Generator (1987)
* Yesyears (1991)
* Yesstory (1992)
* Highlights: The Very Best of Yes (1993)
* In A Word: Yes (1969-) (2002)
* Yes Remixes (2003)
* The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (2003)
* The Word Is Live (2005)
* High Vibration (2013)
* Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two (2015)
* The Steven Wilson Remixes (2018)
* Topographic Drama: Live Across America (2017)
* Yes 50 Live (2019)

Primary Wave Music, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world, has finalized an agreement to acquire the rights of Robby Krieger and the late Ray Manzarek as they pertain to the critically acclaimed band THE DOORS. The monumental acquisition includes their interests in THE DOORS' music publishing catalog, recordings, trademarks, and merchandise rights and income, among other things. The Jim Morrison entities and the legendary band's drummer John Densmore retain their interests separately from Primary Wave.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, THE DOORS were the first American band to have eight consecutive gold albums. The groundbreaking group would go on to sell over 35 million albums in the U.S. alone and over 100 million worldwide. With 10 gold, 14 platinum, four multi-platinum and one diamond award in the States, they are considered one of the best-selling bands of all time. They have been ranked by several outlets, including VH1 and Rolling Stone, who included them on their "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" lists. In 1993 the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and several years later both "Light My Fire" and "Riders On The Storm", along with their debut album, were inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. The Library Of Congress has even recognized the brilliant work of this iconic rock band, selecting their self-titled album "The Doors" for inclusion in the National Recording Registry in 2014. The band also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2007.

This deal brings into the Primary Wave Music family THE DOORS' timeless and classic hits across six phenomenal studio albums. Following Morrison's tragic death, Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek released two more albums as THE DOORS, "Other Voices" and "Full Circle", and lastly the Grammy-nominated album "An American Prayer" in 1978, which coupled Morrison's spoken-word recordings with new music by the remaining DOORS. Songs include their first single off their breakthrough self-titled debut album, "Break On Through (To The Other Side)", which Billboard described as an "excitement-filled rocker" that represented a "powerful debut" and the band's No. 1 hit "Light My Fire" which has been ranked on several magazine's "best of" lists including Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". Other classic recordings include "Hello, I Love You", "People Are Strange", "Riders On The Storm", as well as "L.A. Woman" which The Guardian declared as "Morrison's last great vocal performance."

Primary Wave's marketing, digital strategy, branding, licensing, and synch teams will work closely with THE DOORS' manager Jeff Jampol (Jampol Artist Management, Inc.) to help drive opportunities across this rich catalog of music.

"After 58 years, and the most magical of times, I've decided to sell my share of THE DOORS to Primary Wave," said Robby. "This will enable me to help the many charities I've been involved with, and some new ones too. I know Primary Wave cares about music, art, and about helping legacies go to even bigger levels. Our longtime DOORS manager Jeff Jampol will still be protecting our legacy in partnership with Primary Wave, so I'm comfortable and happy with the future of THE DOORS."

"Ray and I spent a lot of time discussing the future of THE DOORS' legacy, and how to handle things after he departed this plane," said Dorothy Manzarek. She continued, "Our family has worked patiently to find the right partners to continue Ray's lifelong efforts in protecting and promoting his art, and now we are happy to have finally come to an agreement with Primary Wave. Under the continued guidance of our manager, Jeff Jampol, Primary Wave will be the right partners in this endeavor to build future generations of new DOORS fans."

"THE DOORS are one of the most legendary rock bands of all time. We are looking forward to growing the legacies of Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek," said Larry Mestel, CEO and founder of Primary Wave Music. He continues, "We are also very happy to be working alongside such an industry icon as Jeff Jampol to tastefully grow opportunities for THE DOORS."

John Branca, David Byrnes and Kelly Vallon Ciccotti negotiated the deal on behalf of the sellers.

Image courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing

During a January 9 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", drummer Carmine Appice discussed the possibility of a reunion of the power trio/supergroup BLUE MURDER. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist John Sykes and released two studio albums — 1989's self-titled effort and the 1993 follow-up, "Nothin' But Trouble" — before calling it quits.

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if he thinks Sykes is "done" playing music, Carmine said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think he's done. I send him texts; I don't hear nothing back. I don't know. Maybe he's pissed off at me for some reason. But I talk with [BLUE MURDER bassist] Tony [Franklin]; he hasn't heard from him either.

"Tony said [John] just don't like the business now, the way the business is," the 76-year-old drummer continued. "He'd rather do nothing. That's what Tony told me. But we can go play, the band. When we rehearsed a few years ago, it was like magic. And then it just didn't happen. It was just tremendous, the three of us playing together again. It was really tight. We'd say, 'Hey, let's play 'Valley Of The Kings',' and we did it. Now, unfortunately, our keyboard player, Nik [Green], passed away [in 2016]. But we can get somebody else to play keyboards.

"I would love to do some shows with Sykes and Tony as a trio with a keyboard player," Carmine added. "We used to call it 'the trio with depth.'"

Asked how long ago he, Sykes and Franklin last rehearsed together, Carmine said: "It was four years ago, maybe — five years ago. Yeah, [we were rehearsing because we were planning] to do shows. And it just didn't happen.

"When [Sykes] got out of THIN LIZZY, that was supposed to be because we were gonna do shows. And we had shows in Europe booked. But something happened with him and the management; something happened. I forgot what it was. So all the shows got blown out. We had some of the big festivals over there. That would have been the start of it. He left THIN LIZZY, from what I understood, so we could do BLUE MURDER. 'Cause THIN LIZZY was, like, he was in it for a while, he was doing stuff, but he didn't play on the big records. But BLUE MURDER was his; we created it. And it was something that I felt was never completed. It was a great band. Unfortunately, when it came out, for some reason it didn't do what it was supposed to do. And then grunge came in and kind of killed the whole idea. Too bad."

Three years ago, Carmine told "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California that "people wanna see [BLUE MURDER play again], but we can't get John out of the house."

He continued: "I saw John [in 2019] at the Heavy Metal Hall Of Fame, and he told me he was going out with Tony and this little kid drummer [Fred Boswell Jr.]. And he said, 'The kid wants to meet you,' and I met him. He said [his solo] album's coming out, and they're gonna tour. And I said, 'Good. When that's all done, then let's do BLUE MURDER.' He said, 'Okay.' Now, nothing's happened. It's been a year."

Tony told "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" in January 2020 that he spoke to John "regularly" and he explained that there had been "some issues" with Sykes's record label, resulting in a delay in the release of what was supposed to be John's next solo album, "Sy-Ops". He said: "There are so many dynamics to the story, but it doesn't have to be so complicated. He could just get out there and play music.

"I think one of the things with John is that he has a problem embracing the new business for what it is," Tony continued. "And it is different, and you do have to embrace it."

Carmine concurred, saying: "[John] was always more into the creative part, and the business part he always left to other people. And I know when we were together, he would always ask me, 'What about this? What about that?' So I'm sure he's having a problem embracing the business now. We all are, really, a bit. I mean, I can't believe the way the business is. I've seen it change from [more than 50] years ago. So I'm sure that's part of it with John."

Upon Sykes's firing from the most successful version of WHITESNAKE, the former TYGERS OF PAN TANG and THIN LIZZY axeman set out to create a similar sounding bluesy hard rock band. BLUE MURDER released two studio albums and one live album before breaking up in 1994. The late Ray Gillen, most famous for singing for BLACK SABBATH and BADLANDS, sang for an early version of BLUE MURDER, and the band reportedly recorded demos with him, but he didn't appear on any of the group's albums.

In July 2021, the now-67-year-old Sykes released the official Parker Thibault-produced music video for a new song called "Out Alive". The track, which was recorded at least four years earlier, was expected to appear on the aforementioned "Sy-Ops" LP.

"Out Alive" was the second song from "Sy-Ops" to be released in 2021. Back in January of that year, Sykes dropped a video for "Dawning Of A Brand New Day", also produced by Thibault, with additional footage courtesy of Natasha Gregory and James Sykes.

In 2020, Sykes parted ways with Golden Robot Records without releasing a single record through the label.

Sykes's partnership with the Australian company was first announced in January 2019. At the time, John promised that his first album in two decades would arrive before the end of 2019. However, things apparently went south shortly after the signing, with Sykes later accusing the label of making "little attempt to move things forward despite our best efforts and patience."

Speaking to Reality Check TV at the January 2019 Hall Of Heavy Metal History event in Anaheim, California, Sykes stated about his absence from the rock scene: "I'm looking forward to getting out on the road and playing again. I kind of go underground and stay there for a while. I don't know, man. Sometimes I just take off and shut it all down. But I'm getting the itch, I've been having the itch to get back out and play, so I'm looking forward to that."

John's best-known work was when he joined WHITESNAKE and co-wrote the band's self-titled seventh studio album, released in 1987. It produced a major power ballad hit, "Is This Love", along with the No. 1 hit "Here I Go Again". The album was a major crossover hit, eventually selling over eight million copies in the U.S. alone.

Sykes announced his departure from THIN LIZZY in July 2009, explaining that "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music."

Requiem Reloaded, the debut album by international power metal band Ashrain, will be released on April 14th by Metalville Records.


Ashrain is a newly formed group, founded by guitarist and producer Nozomu Wakai (Destinia / Shortino / Sigh). Nozomu as Destinia released an album titled Metal Souls in 2018, featuring the likes of Tommy Aldridge, Marco Mendoza, and Ronnie Romero. He also worked with Paul Shortino and his band Shortino, and was featured on the latest Alcatrazz album. In addition, Nozumu has worked as a guitarist for Japanese black metal band Sigh, and has performed at festivals such as Brutal Assault 2022 and Candelabrum (Mexico) 2022.


In 2020, Nozomu began recording new material with his long-time friend Peter Baltes (ex-Accept). They were later joined by Iuri Sanson (ex-Hibria) and Andy C (ex-Lords Of Black). Ashrain was born, and the strong debut Requiem Reloaded was completed. The album was mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM) at Domination Studio. It also features Elyes Bouchoucha (Myrath) as guest keyboardist. Requiem Reloaded presents beautiful, impressive melodies, guitars with bite, and a fat bass - everything that good power metal needs! Cover and tracklisting are as follows:







"Are You Ready For Rock?"
"Requiem For Screamer"
"Put On The Trigger"
"I Still Burn"
"Break Through The Fire"
"Symphony Of Despair"
"Believe"
"No Surrenders"
"The End Of Sorrow"
"We Fight To Win"


 

Back in August 2022, Finnish modern metal squad, Lost Society performed upon the Ronnie James Dio Stage at the Bloodstock Open Air 2022, at Catton Hall and Gardens in Walton-on-Trent, England. Check out pro-shot video of "Stitches" below:





Watch the band perform "Blood On Your Hands" at the same show:







Lost Society released their latest manifesto, If The Sky Came Down, in October 2022. Order/save the album here.





Tracklisting:


"112"
"What Have I Done"
"(We Are The) Braindead"
"Stitches"
"Awake"
"Underneath"
"Creature"
"Hurt Me"
"If The Sky Came Down"
"Suffocating"


"Awake" video:





"What Have I Done" video:





"Stitches" video:





"112" video:





Lineup:


Samy Elbanna - Vocals, Guitar
Arttu Lesonen - Guitar
Mirko Lehtinen - Bass
Taz Fagerström - Drums

In a new interview with "The Metal Edge Podcast", former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy spoke about his involvement with "Lost Not Forgotten Archives". The collaboration between the band and record label InsideOut Music has seen the virtuosic quintet's long-standing Ytsejam Records catalog reissued, alongside some brand new additions to this special collectors series. (Ytsejam is the label imprint which DREAM THEATER had been using for years to release official bootlegs of live recordings ["Ytsejam" is "Majesty" spelled backwards; MAJESTY was DREAM THEATER's original band name].)

Portnoy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "First of all, I was one trillion percent involved with the originals. In fact, that was my project; I was the one that had the archives and put together all these releases with photos from my archives and extensive liner notes. So I was the one that put together the original Ytsejam bootlegs back — I don't know — 15, 20 years ago. So there were about 16 or 20 titles that I did back then. So when they started reissuing these as their new 'Lost Not Forgotten' series, I wasn't involved at all; they were doing it all on their own. But they were reusing a lot of my original Ytsejam titles. So, yeah, I was appearing on a lot of these, but I wasn't involved with any of the artwork or anything like that. And it kind of bummed me out because I spent so much time on the originals, with the liner notes. The liner notes are real important for people to have context of what went behind all of these demos or live shows or whatever. So I wasn't involved in these new reissues. But then John [Petrucci, DREAM THEATER] and myself started working together [again] in 2020. I played on his solo album, and then him and me and Jordan Rudess [DREAM THEATER keyboardist] and Tony [Levin, bass], we did a third LTE [LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT] album. So once John and I started working together, inevitably I brought it up to him: 'Hey, man, what's up with that? Why aren't the liner notes there anymore?' And I noticed some wrong things on some of the credits on the ones that they released without my involvement. So he was, like, 'Hey, if you don't mind overseeing some of the credits and things like that,' just making sure everything is factually correct, because I'm very, very anal about that. So after about their first five or six releases, John started tying me in to make sure at least all the info was correct. Sadly, they're still not using my artwork or liner notes, but that's their prerogative. And then once I got involved on that level, him and the band's manager asked if I'd be willing to maybe contribute some more things from my archives. And I was, like, 'You know, what the hell? Why not?' There's a bunch of things in my archives that it's a waste for them to just be sitting here at my house. So I contributed a bunch of new titles. Like, they just released our show at Madison Square Garden opening for IRON MAIDEN; that is a new one. And then there's a few others that are coming out soon that came from my archives. So I'm slightly involved at this point. Not as much as I was with the originals, but enough where I can give them a few new titles to add to the collection."

Asked if he appears on a few of the "Lost Not Forgotten Archives" releases, Portnoy said: "Obviously, I appear on all the original Ytsejam titles. And then there's some new ones that I'm contributing from my time, from my archives. But they also have a bunch of post-MP stuff that they're putting out as well.

"The only bummer for me with the liner-note thing is now I think they have it streaming on some of the streaming services, and there's no context for any of this stuff." Mike admitted. "Somebody e-mailed me a few days ago, 'Hey, what's the deal with this song I just heard?' And I was, like, 'Where the hell did you hear that?' And they were, like, 'Oh, it's on Apple Music or Spotify.' And they didn't know who was on it; they didn't know who's the singer. There's some things on there that are demos with different singers. And without the context of my liner notes, it's almost impossible for people to know what the hell these things are. But anyway, that's neither here nor there."

Ytsejam Records previously played host to DREAM THEATER's official bootleg release collection comprising of live shows, demos and studio outtakes from throughout the band's prolific career. As part of the "Lost Not Forgotten Archives", the entirety of the collection has been reissued on CD, as well as for the very first time on vinyl and digital, with brand new artwork and packaging. The band has also been busy digging into its encyclopedic vault to find some very special, previously unreleased material. The first brand new release in the reinvigorated archival series was a recording of the band's start-to-finish performance of its classic second studio album, "Images & Words", taken from its performance at Tokyo, Japan's legendary Budokan venue in September of 2017.

Following this inaugural "Lost Not Forgotten Archives" release, the extensive back catalogue of Ytsejam Records offerings started to be reissued. Plenty more previously unreleased material is getting its initial publication, presenting an absolute treasure trove of DREAM THEATER music for fans both old and new to explore.

Back in 2012, DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie denied that Ytsejam Records died with the departure of Portnoy in 2010. LaBrie said: "No, it didn't die. I've been taking care of that, so I've got each night's recordings, and I've documented it. There is so much stuff from all around the world from this last tour that I already have documented and put into a master list that these particular nights… What I did is I took them from certain areas of the world, and it sounds incredible. It's just a matter of it making sense for us, when we're gonna release the next Ytsejam [recording]. But it will happen. I can guarantee you — it will happen. At this point, it's not a priority. But the stuff is there. Right now we have more than enough that we can release an amazingYtsejam release right now — definitely. So it's just gonna be when we feel, as a band, 'Okay, let's finally put it together and let's get it out there.' I have a few ideas where it could be really… something cool, some added features that would be really cool. And the other guys are involved, too, so it's very collective as to how we want the first Ytsejam [release] — post-Mike's involvement, with all those previous Ytsejam [releases]… We want it to have a really big impact."

Ted Nugent has paid tribute to British guitar legend Jeff Beck following his death on January 10.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, who rose to prominence with THE YARDBIRDS, died "suddenly" after contracting bacterial meningitis, his representative said.

Ted addressed Jeff's passing during the latest episode of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which he offers his take on the news of our world every night. Speaking to co-host Keith Mark, Ted said in part: "There is not a meaningful guitarist in the world that didn't discover the brilliance, the lyricism, the dynamics, the vocabulary, the tonal spread of what Jeff Beck literally created. He was inspired by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and certainly THE VENTURES and Duane Eddy and Lonnie Mack and all those original electric guitar virtuosos. Just an adventurous, creative, wonderful guy.

"We did a lot of shows early on with THE YARDBIRDS and JEFF BECK GROUP and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE with Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert from VANILLA FUDGE," Ted continued. "But his musical legacy has so enriched real music lovers' life. And he was a good man; he was a kind man.

"There was a lot of parallels [between Jeff and me] because the way he expressed himself on the guitar, it referenced that mechanics of horsepower. It represent[ed] the spirit side of the samurai, the martial arts. He was an archer. He made his own long bows out of Osage orange and he made his own arrows. So there's a lot of parallels there.

"When you play with that dynamic lyricism that Jeff Beck had mastered and uncharted tonalities, it was really mesmerizing," Nugent added. "And ultimately, as I say about Eddie Van Halen and all of our lost souls, when Chuck Berry passed, their music will continue to enrich our lives. So nobody ever forget Jeff Beck.

"And if you haven't listened to a lot of Jeff Beck, go back to THE YARDBIRDS and go back to the Jeff Beck 'Truth' album — unbelievable soulful music."

Having cultivated one of the most influential careers in rock history, Beck was universally acknowledged as one of the most talented and significant guitarists in the world, and has played alongside some of the greatest artists of rock, blues and jazz.

Over the course of his distinguished 50-plus-year music career, he had earned an incredible eight Grammy Awards, been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time," and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice — once as a member of THE YARDBIRDS and again as a solo artist. In the summer of 2016, the guitar virtuoso celebrated his five decades of music with an extraordinary concert at the famous Hollywood Bowl.

Speaking when he was inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the second time in 2009, Beck said: "I play the way I do because it allows me to come up with the sickest sounds possible. That's the point now, isn't it? I don't care about the rules. In fact, if I don't break the rules at least 10 times in every song, then I'm not doing my job properly."

Beck famously replaced Eric Clapton as THE YARDBIRDS' lead guitarist in 1965 and later went on to form THE JEFF BECK GROUP, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. Their two albums — "Truth" (1968) and "Beck-Ola" (1969) — would become musical touchstones for hard rockers in the years to come.

The constantly evolving Beck's next move — a power trio with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, which released "Beck, Bogert And Appice" (1973),once again shattered people's preconceptions of what a rock guitarist was supposed to sound like.

1985's "Flash" kept Beck in the spotlight as he earned the "Best Rock Instrumental" Grammy for the song "Escape". A second Grammy came with Jeff Beck's "Guitar Shop" with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas, and a third for "Dirty Mind" from the "You Had It Coming" album in 2001. 2009 saw the release of the platinum-selling "Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott's", which earned a Grammy for "A Day In The Life".

Beck's astonishing 2010 solo album, "Emotion & Commotion", brought about two additional Grammy Awards; Beck was nominated in five categories before bringing home three: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for "Hammerhead" and "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for "Nessun Dorma", both from "Emotion & Commotion", and "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals" for "Imagine", his collaboration with Herbie Hancock.

His "Rock 'N' Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul)" album was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". In 2016 he released "Loud Hailer" and in 2017 "Jeff Beck: Live At The Hollywood Bowl" was released, both to widespread critical acclaim.

The eight-time Grammy winner is survived by his wife Sandra.

Sweden's Vypera have released a music video for "Rock N' Roll", a track from the band's debut album, Eat Your Heart Out, released last year via Frontiers.


Says the band: "Here’s a small token of gratitude from us. Thanks for all your support during 2022. When we finished the recording of Eat Your Heart Out we had no idea that we would end up on the biggest label in the world for melodic rock. It was just a dream coming true after all those years of hard work. That you also loved the album as much as we do… That means the world to us! As we hinted before, we’re in the studio right now working on our new album and we can’t wait to present the new material for you. A wise band once said: “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” and that’s the feeling we also have. So, it's a little bit belated but from us to all of you - let’s make 2023 even more rock n’ roll!"







Order/save Eat Your Heart Out here.





Tracklisting:


"Slow Me Down"
"Standing On The Edge"
"Spellbound"
"Sierra"
"Rock N' Roll"
"Fantasy"
"Straight For The Kill"
"Danger"
"Fool For The Night"
"Cold As Ice"
"Wingborne"


"Cold As Ice" video:





"Standing On The Edge" video:





Lineup:


Andreas Wallström - Vocals
Christoffer Thelin - Guitars
Andreas Andersson - Bass
Johan Pettersson - Drums

With just over four weeks until the release of "Blood Money Part Zer0", New York City electro metalheads DOPE have shared another piece of new music from the upcoming seventh studio LP. "Dive" is the sixth track from the collection of twelve all-new songs scheduled for release on February 24. The track showcases the sound that catapulted DOPE to massive global appeal and garnered them a loyal legion of fans that continue to make DOPE one of the top streaming artists of the genre.

"I'm really pleased with how the fans are reacting to the new album," exclaims DOPE mastermind Edsel Dope. "If you haven't done it already, go to www.dopeetheband.com and sign up to receive the new album for FREE! See you all on tour next month!"

"Blood Money Part Zer0" is DOPE's first release in seven years and is the follow-up to 2016's "Blood Money Part 1", which debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, selling over 15,000 units in its first week.

DOPE has sold more than a million combined albums and has amassed an audience of nearly two million monthly listeners on Spotify while racking up more than 100 million plays on its cult classic "Die MF Die".

In a move to demonstrate the bands sincere appreciation to their loyal fanbase for more than two decades, DOPE is giving away "Blood Money Part Zer0" for free digitally. Longtime fans, curious listeners and people that enjoy gratis music can sign up to download the album for free on the band's web site. A physical pre-order is also available on the band's web site for fans that want to purchase the new album in various physical formats.

DOPE recently released an introspective infomercial which doubles as a behind-the-scenes look into the real life of Edsel, his private life, and his many ventures outside of DOPE. A very private person, virtually inactive on social media, Edsel is intentionally secretive about what he does with his time between records and tours. This video serves as a direct message to the fans, inviting them to see behind the curtain of the mysterious man, whose creativity they have supported for years.

DOPE will hit the road in 2023 in support of "Blood Money Part Zer0" as part of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour with STATIC-X and FEAR FACTORY. The 42-date trek kicks off February 25 in San Francisco, California and wraps up April 15 in Los Angeles, California.

During his time away from performing with DOPE, Edsel has become a successful creative director, project manager and entrepreneur. As part of a three-year stint with Omnicom's GMR Marketing, Edsel headed up music programs for the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, WWE, UFC and many others while also lending his creative marketing talents to brands such as Indian Motorcycle, Nissan and "American Horror Story", to name a few. Edsel, who now resides in Los Angeles, is a father, has a family and is also the owner operator of the3D/4D capture stage to the stars. Ecco Studios is a company specializes in the technical art of 3D and 4D scanning, which is the foundation for creating the most unbelievably realistic digital humans imaginable. Ecco is skyrocketing at the moment and through this venture, Edsel recently worked with the likes of Paul McCartney, Snoop Dog, Terry Crews, Sylvester Stallone, while also working on titles such as "Spiderman", "Terminator: Dark Fate", "Love Death Robot", as well as several volumes of the EA Madden franchise.

According to FOX4 News Kansas City, prosecutors have dismissed assault charges against TOOL drummer Danny Carey.

No reason was given for the dismissal, with the court only saying the case is a closed confidential matter.

The decision to dismiss the case comes more than a year after Carey was arrested on December 12, 2021 for an alleged assault at Kansas City International Airport. In TMZ's video of the incident, Carey could be heard berating the officers and telling the person filming him to "videotape all of this." The musician, who could be seen wearing a Kansas City Chiefs jersey, kept asking one of the officers, "Who did I assault?" and exclaiming, "I just want to get the fuck out of here." At the end of the video, two officers could be seen pushing Carey against a glass wall outside the airport, with one officer ordering Carey not to get too close to them. The officers then slapped cuffs around Carey's wrists, with one of them telling the drummer to "quit resisting now."

According to TMZ, law enforcement sources said Carey allegedly assaulted an employee working security at the airport. A police report stated that Carey allegedly shoved two fingers in the worker's chest and repeatedly yelled, "You're a fucking f****t!"

The 61-year-old musician was booked for misdemeanor assault and was released on bond.

A spokesperson for the Kansas City Aviation Department told Rolling Stone at the time: "Regarding the request for body and dash cam video, our police force does not have this technology. The police report has been forwarded to the prosecutor's office for review."

Carey's arrest came one day after he performed the Jimi Hendrix song "Fire" at the University of Kansas vs. the University of Missouri men's basketball game in Lawrence, Kansas.

TOOL formed in 1990 and has released five studio albums thus far: "Undertow" (1993),"Ænima" (1996),"Lateralus" (2001),"10,000 Days" (2006) and "Fear Inoculum" (2019); two EPs: "72826" (1991) and "Opiate" (1992); and the limited-edition boxset, "Salival" (2000). The band has won four Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance (1998, "Ænima"),"Best Metal Performance" (2002, "Schism"),"Best Recording Package" (2007, "10,000 Days") and "Best Metal Performance" (2020, "7empest").

"Fear Inoculum" arrived in August of 2019, following years of anticipation. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200, shattering sales and radio records while also earning widespread critical praise.

Photo: Kansas City Police Department

British hard rock legends URIAH HEEP will release their 25th studio album, "Chaos & Colour", on January 27, 2023 via Silver Lining Music.

The official lyric video for the LP's second single, "Hurricane", can be seen below.

Drummer and co-writer Russell Gilbrook explains: "Simon [Pinto] and I wrote the song about how our ancestors looked at storms and how these can be interpreted as being messages from the Gods… Their power is awesome and a great inspiration for a rocking track!"

Founding guitarist Mick Box comments: "Music and lyrics are of paramount importance to me… I used to hate those '80s MTV million-dollar videos as they created such a visual image that all calls to imagination were lost because you didn't have to think. I think the power of music and lyrics are that they do certain things to certain people."

"Chaos & Colour" is an album which bristles with explosive classic rock guitars, supreme harmonies, and HEEP's famously generous keyboard foundation. It is, unsurprisingly, an album that found its extra thrust during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was as bizarre for URIAH HEEP as it was for humanity in general.

"The album title reflects that we were in chaotic times with being locked down, tours being cancelled, businesses folding, and all the chaos that was thrown into the world," explains Box, "and as far as I could see it, the only color people had was through music. It helped so many people get through those difficult years, using that strength and power which music has, to make those bad times not quite so bad."

There were still the looming specter of protocols and rules to follow in the middle of 2021, as the world tried to find its feet. HEEP slowly found their way into Chapel Studios in London during the summer of 2021 as restrictions were tentatively lifted, working once again with Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, COREY TAYLOR, BLACK STAR RIDERS).

"Jay was completely on board with what we are trying to achieve in the studio," says Box. "We're a band that has a fantastic heritage and to carry on that tradition it was vitally important that the band recorded in the studio all playing at the same time. Jay understood that and he pulled out the best of us as a band, as well as individual players, while getting us some amazing sounds."

Led by Box, it is no surprise that themes of light, love and, ultimately, positivity are constant through the album eleven tracks. "One Nation, One Sun" is a journey of soaring balladic contemplation, "Fly Like An Eagle" takes the listener on a journey of meditation, while "Closer To Your Dreams" is a battle cry for all rockers to get out there and do it, with Shaw imploring that "So many have tried but slipped away/Now it's time for you to have your say." During the entire album, Bernie Shaw's timeless vocals sit expertly beside the band's phenomenal artistry, rounding out exceptional performances throughout.

Produced by Ruston and engineered by Pieter Rietkerk, "Chaos & Colour" is a superb album of quality hard rock from the pioneers of the genre who continue to create top class material. Old fans will be reinvigorated whilst new fans will surely find "Chaos & Colour" an exceptional discovery.

Following the intense disruption to live music caused by the pandemic, URIAH HEEP is ecstatic to be back on the road and continue to bring its live show across Europe this winter.

"Chaos & Colour" will be available to pre-order from November 8, in black and colored vinyl configurations, as a standard CD digipak, a deluxe CD packaged in a hardcover book with URIAH HEEP's "Chaos & Colour" signature patch and in digital formats.

"Chaos & Colour" track listing:

01. Save Me Tonight
02. Silver Sunlight
03. Hail The Sunrise
04. Age Of Changes*
05. Hurricane
06. One Nation, One Sun
07. Golden Light
08. You'll Never Be Alone
09. Fly Like An Eagle
10. Freedom To Be Free
11. Closer To Your Dreams*
12. Save Me Tonight (Demo)**

* CD and digital only
** Deluxe CD only

UNEARTH has released a new single called "The Wretched; The Ruinous". The track, which premiered worldwide on Sirius XM Liquid Metal on January 23, was recorded, once again, with renowned producer/engineer Will Putney.

UNEARTH vocalist Trevor Phipps explains: "'The Wretched; The Ruinous' is a summation of our upcoming album as a whole musically and lyrically as it showcases the aggression, power, melody, energy and darkness that is full-throttle UNEARTH. Thematically, this lead track puts the full blame on mankind for the destruction of our planet, and the mass extinction of millions of species, as well as the eventual eradication of man due to our negligence with the climate crisis.

"The first video for the new record was shot in one of our favorite places to tour on the planet, Tokyo, Japan. The raw energy from the crowd was captured by the talented Seidai Takekoshi and his additional cinematographers Seijito Nishimi and Ryo Minekawa who all got into the crowd, in the pit and on stage to properly capture the power and emotion this song brings and we are excited to show you all the end result.

"See you on the road worldwide in 2023 and beyond."

UNEARTH are nothing short of standard-bearers and keepers of the faith for American metalcore. They were the band born in the breakdown who never wavered from their love for European death metal melodicism, supercharged by American thrash and hardcore. Now, nearly 25 years into a career that's seen the Massachusetts mob play innumerable gigs and massive festivals on six continents, sell hundreds of thousands of records, and inspire some of the most important bands in extreme metal today, they remain a force to contend with.

For UNEARTH, the mission is simple: keep being UNEARTH.

Says the band: "We formed this band to make music for us, not trying to create something for anyone else. As soon as we did that people connected to it, and it's kept us pushing onward for almost 25 years. We look forward to 25 more."

Adds Phipps: "The mentality has always been to look at UNEARTH as long term as possible. We've continuously cited the careers of CANNIBAL CORPSE, TESTAMENT, EXODUS and SLAYER as bands that kept going, never compromising their music and touring hard around the world. We adopted that mentality early on and it's kept us going for almost a quarter century. We love what we do, and we will keep on doing it."

Joining Trevor, guitarist Buz McGrath and longtime bassist Chris O'Toole on the road is not only new guitarist Peter Layman (ex-APIARY),who played with UNEARTH before, but also drummer Mike Justian, long considered an integral part of UNEARTH's halcyon days.

"Mike's live performance and presence are unmatched, and we couldn't be happier to have him back with us," states Trevor. In the summer of 2022, with Justian and Layman, the band headed off to Europe for festivals and haven't looked back since, with appearances at various U.S. festivals, a tour in Mexico to round out 2022, and upcoming world touring in 2023, with tours in Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Europe all on the docket in the first quarter of the new year.

UNEARTH recording lineup:

Vocals - Trevor Phipps
Guitars - Buz McGrath
Bass - Chris O'Toole
Drums - Nick Pierce

Photo credit: Mezgarth

FOO FIGHTERS have replaced PANTERA on the billing of the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals in Germany this spring.

On Monday (January 23),organizers for the festivals announced that the reformed PANTERA — featuring 's surviving members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown (bass) along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — would no longer appear at the two simultaneous rock festivals, which will take place June 2-4 in Nürburgring and Nürnberg, respectively. The decision to remove the band from the bill came after "intensive conversations" over the fact that Anselmo made a Nazi-style salute when he performed at the January 2016 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood in honor of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He also appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but later claimed he was joking about drinking white wine backstage and was reacting to the audience members up front who he says were taunting him.

FOO FIGHTERS' addition to the festivals was announced by the bandmembers themselves via their official Instagram, with the band writing, "Germany – we'll see you Friday, June 2nd at Rock Am Ring and Sunday, June 4th at Rock Im Park! Tickets on sale now!"

Late last month, FOO FIGHTERS vowed to carry on as "a different band" following the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The Dave Grohl-fronted outfit addressed its future while sharing a New Year's Eve message on social media.

The FOO FIGHTERS wrote: "As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us.

"FOO FIGHTERS were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music. Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were — and without Taylor, we know that we're going to be a different band going forward.

"We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you and we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he'll be there in spirit with all of us every night."

Hawkins was found dead in March 2022 in a hotel room in Colombia, shortly before FOO FIGHTERS were due to play a festival in Bogotá. He was 50 years old.

No cause of death was announced, although a toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including opioids, marijuana and anti-depressants.

Investigators did not say whether the mix of drugs was a factor.

Hawkins had been the FOO FIGHTERS drummer for 25 years, taking over from original drummer William Goldsmith in 1997. He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.

FOO FIGHTERS staged two tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins. The first tribute concert took place September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. A Los Angeles concert was held on September 27, 2022 and raised money for Musicares and Music Support charities and served as a farewell party for Hawkins's adopted hometown.

Other notable tributes to come in the months following Hawkins's death included a segment at this year's Grammy Awards, a drum circle in Taylor's hometown, and a live performance of the FOO FIGHTERS song "My Hero" by more than 1,000 musicians.

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In a new interview with Dave Spuria of The Real Music Observer, former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE frontman Joe Lynn Turner spoke about how some people — including unspecified media outlets — have supposedly criticized him over some of the comments he has made while promoting his latest solo album, "Belly Of The Beast", which is said to be "a lot darker" than his previous efforts. He explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know how many times I've been crucified like this, and I still will be, by all of these yellow rags that I call them, the ones who like to stir the poop, and all this? It's terrible. And I just have to laugh, because I go, 'Look…' I feel sad for them because if this is clickbait or if this is how they get an audience or if they have a satisfaction of putting someone else down to make themselves feel better, whether it's a comment or whatever, that's very sad. They have very small lives. That's all I can say.

"All I'm trying to do here is establish something that I'm trying to deliver a message, a little but of knowledge that I know I have. And if you're gonna fact-check me, do you know what the fact checkers are? There's no degree in fact checking," he continued. "And another thing: conspiracy. Do you know what the difference between conspiracy and the truth is? About six months. So, I will be vindicated."

Regarding his decision to directly address how he views the state of the world in the lyrics on "Belly Of The Beast", Joe said: "I had to do something. The world is going to hell. Somebody better say something. How come nobody is saying something? … Where is the courage? I mean, the new pandemic is cowardice. That's the pandemic.

"So, stand up for yourself and try to help the world," he continued. "You're not adding anything if you just let it continue. In fact, if you're complicit in that, you're just as much to blame. I paraphrase one of the parables that says, 'If a man sees something wrong and does nothing about it, he's wrong himself.' You've gotta stop that, the wheel of karma. You've gotta grab it and stop it. And somebody say, 'Hey, people, have you thought about this?' And that's what art is. And that's what 'Belly' is trying to do. I'm trying to say, maybe it will give you a perspective of things that you haven't thought through. Yes, it's entertaining; yes, it's rocking your ass off; yes, it's great music and all that; but there's a message here that I want you to listen to. The whole thing — the spiritual war, the physical war, for everything that's going on here with humanity right now.

"They are coming after our soul," Joe explained, without specifying who "they" are. "They're coming after our freedom. The first thing you lose with freedom is freedom of speech. And nobody can fact-check me on that. We have lost the freedom of speech globally. And don't get me started on the WEF, and don't get me started on Davos and all of those hypocrites," he added, referencing the World Economic Forum's annual meeting at Davos which has long been a lightning rod for conspiracy theories.

When Spuria pointed out that the mainstream media has repeatedly dismissed "conspiracy theories" about the Davos event regarding sinister schemes the globalists are supposedly plotting at the World Economic Forum's meeting, Joe fired back: "Conspiracy my butt. It's not a conspiracy. How come they all come true? How come everything happens…? All this tinfoil hat wearers, all of a sudden it comes true. You wait six months and it comes true. You wait eight months, it comes true. Well, how come they don't recognize that? Why don't they at least say, 'Well, you guys were right'?

"Look, this is an information war, a propaganda war," Joe explained. "What is the old saying, that the first casualty of war is the truth. That's the first casualty of war. And you can go fact-check that, anybody, okay? But that's the truth. The truth is the first casualty. There has very little truth got to do with any of the wars.

"I'm all about peace," Turner clarified. "There should always be peace. People who fight run out of ideas. I don't care if it's a street fight, a school fight or a major war, you're running out of ideas. You can't think to sit down and negotiate and say, 'Okay, let's bargain this out. Let's figure out what's wrong here and be logical about it. Let's be fair about it.' Nobody wants to be fair — that's the problem. They want what they want. They want tyranny. They want power. They wanna be in control. This is the problem. And it's getting to the point where we are the sacrifices — humanity."

Joe went on to say that he welcomes an open and honest discussion about the pressing political issues, including all viewpoints and ideas, and he encourages everyone else to do the same.

"Learn to open your mind," he said. "I listen to both sides of the story. In fact, [I also listen to] a third side. Why not? There's always something else in the middle. There's left, there's right and there's center. So let's try to massage all of it and see, 'Where are we going with this?' 'What's the truth about this?' and 'What's really happening?'"

Turner also touched upon viral stories proliferating on social media about professional athletes dropping dead of sudden cardiac arrest and children being hospitalized with severe health issues. He said: "When we see, when we know things are happening, as in people dropping dead and dying suddenly, when we see that, is that a reality or is it not? When 14-year-old kids have heart attacks, are you gonna tell me that's normal? No. You can't fact-check that. You can't pull that wool over my eyes. That is not normal. That has not happened. For example, the whole thing with [Buffalo Bills safety Damar] Hamlin [who suffered a cardiac arrest during this month's game against the Cincinnati Bengals], the football player, that hasn't happened in 50 years of the NFL. Everybody gets hit all over the place. That hasn't happened ever. So go fact-check that. I mean, what are people talking about? If you wanna turn a blind eye to it, that's fine. It's not fine, but if that's the way you wanna live your life, it's really gonna be very sad for you, because you really have to wake up and smell the coffee, man. It's happening all around you. And you could be next." [According to the nonpartisan, nonprofit web site FactCheck.org, there has been no increase in sudden death or cardiac injury among U.S. athletes since the COVID-19 vaccines became available, despite anti-vaccine campaigners' efforts to spread a false narrative about vaccine safety since Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest.]

Turner's latest comments come just four months after he performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The singer broke with most international artists who canceled their live appearances in Russia in response to the global condemnation against the Kremlin and its president, Vladimir Putin, over the war in Ukraine. In addition, major record labels suspended their operations in the country, while streaming services like Spotify pulled out of the market.

A month earlier, Turner apparently threw his support behind Roger Waters over comments the PINK FLOYD co-founder made about Russia. Waters blasted U.S. president Joe Biden for "fueling the fire in the Ukraine" amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country, and asked in an interview with CNN's Michael Smerconish, "Why won't the United States of America encourage [Volodymyr] Zelensky, [Ukraine's] president, to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?" After Smerconish responded that Waters got it "reversed" and was "blaming the party that got invaded," Waters fired back, saying it was about the "action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border."

A short time later, Turner took to his official Facebook page to share a video of Smerconish's interview with Waters, and he included the following message: "Roger Waters speaks TRUTH to power! Thank you Roger. Someone has to say it..."

This was not the first time Joe had publicly taken a political stance. Back in 2015, the singer made headlines when it was revealed that he joined a list of Western celebrities who publicly expressed support for and defended Vladimir Putin, whose image had suffered greatly because of Moscow's aggressive foreign policy.

Two years later, Turner said that his opinion of the Russian president had remained unchanged. "He still is [telling the truth]," the singer told Kraig Casebier's "American Barber In Prague" in a 2017 interview. "Honest to God, I got a lot of crap for [saying] that [before]. But it's true, and he still is, whether you like him or not. He may be a gangster, but he's a good gangster. And I say there are good gangsters.

"There were gangsters in my family, in the Mafia, and they were good people," he explained. "They were the safest neighborhoods, and they protected everyone on the block, and they took care of a lot of people. And they actually donated their time, money to good causes. If somebody didn't have enough bread or food, they'd buy it for 'em. I mean, it depends on what kind of gangster you are. The politicans are bad gangsters; they can't even cover up their crimes."

Joe went on to lament the state of American politics and denounced the culture of extreme political correctness, which he believed had gone too far.

"I think America's lost its way," he said. "We've lost God, we've lost a lot of things that made that country great. And I'm sorry to say, being an American — Italian-American, and holding an American passport… I have had uncles… and my father did military service for twelve overseas stripes — the whole thing. And I went to Iraq for the troops, so anybody that wants to challenge that, c'mon, bring it on, because I think I know a few more things than you. But I think that we've lost a lot in our values of America. We can't even speak freely anymore. There's more freedom in Russia; I can tell you that. I've done a lot of time there and still will. People don't understand what Russia is [in America]."

According to Turner, his country's demonization of Russia is rooted in the fact that "America always needs a big, bad wolf. We need to hate somebody, because of the military industrial complex," he said. "So we need to hate somebody all the time [and] create a war. There's no need for it, really. If we can just straighten out the economy and get the Fed out of there, I think the people would have a chance. But right now, I pray for them — I really do. Because I just think they've got it all wrong."

As if sensing the criticism that would likely follow his comments, Turner preemptively defended himself by saying: "I said Putin was telling the truth, 'cause he is telling the truth. I got subpoenaed by my own government, okay? So all these naysayers and these haters who are gonna see this about me and stuff, you guys have no clue. 30 percent of the American people have passports, so 70 percent of you are isolated and know dick about it — you have been nowhere and done nothing. Excuse me, but that's what you should have been told a long time ago."

The now-71-year-old singer went on to explain that he was "subpoenaed" by the U.S. government after he played "three charity shows" in Russian-annexed Crimea, which he called a "wartorn country." "The people had a great time [and] we had sellout houses," he said.

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

In a brand new interview with the French SCORPIONS fan club Crazyscorps, the band's lead singer Klaus Meine spoke about the lyrical inspiration for the recent SCORPIONS song "When Tomorrow Comes" in which he appears to be "angry about mankind." Asked if feels that humanity is on the brink of extinction, the 74-year-old musician said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you see what's going on in the world, with climate change, with all those conflicts — from the Middle East to the Ukraine and Russia — and when you see what's going on, you get angry.

"With the end of the Cold War, the world seemed to be wide open; a window was open for a peaceful future," he continued. "And now we it's the opposite. And we're all walking kind of on the edge. And this [song] is just expressing the fear.

"I'm always very optimistic. And I don't think this is the end of the world. But it's frustrating to see mankind is doing the same mistakes again and again."

Meine also addressed the fact that he has always promoted peace with his messages in the SCORPIONS lyrics. Asked how he feels about the state of the world right now, Klaus said: "Well, we live from day to day, and every other day we see the terrible news on TV, every other night what's going on in Ukraine. And we don't know where we go from here.

"I think after all the two and a half years — whatever it was — of the pandemic, where the whole world was shut down, that was a very dark scenario and it was frightening," he continued. "We had no idea what is next. The virus is mutating, and what comes next? So many people were dying. And then the question, vaccination or no vaccination? What is the right vaccination? If you get sick, what is the best way to survive? And will we ever go back on the road again, play concerts again? Will that ever be possible? Nobody knew. So we were very lucky that we could use these terrible times and go in the studio and create something new. We were very lucky, really, because it was also like being not only in the studio but in a survival camp. We were living in our own bubble, and the world outside was very dark. Now in '23, it seems to be, for most of it, it's over with the pandemic. At least it's more under control. I mean, to say it's all over is maybe also a little too optimistic — I don't know — but I like to think it's over, or at least it's under control. And maybe we have to live with this virus, like with so many other — when you get sick from a flu every other year, we have to live with this virus maybe. But we know how to deal with it now, and the medical department knows what to do and how to deal with it."

SCORPIONS's latest album, "Rock Believer", was released in February 2022. The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.