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 "Blood On Your Hands" below.





Lost Society released a video for "Awake", featured on the band's new manifesto, If The Sky Came Down, in October 2022. Watch the video below.




Frontman Samy Elbanna states: “It feels surreal to finally be able to utter these words: If The Sky Came Down is OUT NOW. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished with this album, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much this record means to me and the whole band. An album born of heartbreak and trauma, and essentially the final words of something truly on the edge, these songs and these words come straight from the heart, and are a testament to the fact that music and art can raise you back from the dead. We hope you love it as much as we do.”


About the video, Samy adds: "We wanted something haunting, yet beautiful for the video of “Awake”. Us together with the amazing Joona Mäki wanted to capture the intensity and the frailty of the lyric, mixed with the powerful nature of the music - and I feel like we nailed it. The song is all about serenity in the destruction of something old and the creation of something new, and having the band in such a “stripped down” setting really brings that through.”


He continues about the song: “It’s so easy to believe that once you spiral out of control, the only thing left is to hit rock bottom and never get up; but in fact, very often you just have to face that painful low in order for something new and beautiful to come to life. That’s what “Awake” is all about - the beauty in rebirth, and rising from what you were sure would be the death of hope. This track features the incredible Budapest Art Orchestra, who helped us complete one of the most powerful and emotional songs we have ever released.”





Order/save the new album here.





Tracklisting:


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


"What Have I Done" video:





"Stitches" video:





"112" video:





Lineup:


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

Midnite City frontman Rob Wylde recebntly guested on the 80's Glam Metalcast's  Hair Metal Deep Tracks and revealed what the band has in store for 2023. Check out the interview below.


On the new Midnite City album


Wylde: "We are currently working on our fourth album. We are quite a way through it, probably about 80% done. The plan is to have the album finished by the end of this month. Mix in February, hand it to the label in March, and it will come out in June. We’ve got a UK tour booked to coincide with the albums release. We have some festivals in Europe lined up and some plans to visit some other countries as well. I think the material is a lot closer to what we were doing on our first 2 albums. The last album we did was a little heavier, a little darker in some places. This new album is going back to that fun, melodic pop metal stuff that we are known for. We’re still working on a title, but I have some ideas. I’m sure the other guys do as well. We’ll have to come up with something pretty quick! We’ll be announcing all that stuff soon." 




On his exit from Tigertailz 


Wylde: "I left the band in May of 2021. I’m not a believer in airing your dirty laundry in public. The one thing I will say is I left the band, I wasn’t fired. They are kinda making sound like I was fired. It had been something I had been thinking about doing for quite awhile before I actually did it. It wasn’t a snap decision. I loved singing the songs and doing the shows and all that, but all the stuff that was going on behind the scenes - that was the stuff I couldn’t deal with anymore. I was pretty happy to get out of it. It was just time for me to go, but I guess it was good while it lasted."





Midnite City released their third album, Itch You Can’t Scratch, in May 2021. They released twi singles, "Atomic" and "Crawlin' In The Dirt".


"Atomic"





"Crawlin' In The Dirt".





(Photo - Rob Billingham)

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French spoke about the band's decision to reunite to perform at the sixth annual Metal Hall Of Fame charity gala. Drummer Mike Portnoy and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai will also induct TWISTED SISTER's classic lineup of French, Dee Snider (vocals),Eddie Ojeda (guitar),Mark Mendoza (bass) and late drummer A.J Pero into the Metal Hall Of Fame, which will take place January 26 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California.

According to Jay Jay, he and his TWISTED SISTER bandmates were initially thinking, "'Okay, we'll just show up, get the award and go home.' I mean, that was really it," French said. "I don't live in L.A. Dee does. I said, 'Dee, why don't you just go and get the award and say 'thank you' on behalf of the band?' That's it. 'But if you're not in L.A., maybe I'll fly out on behalf of the band.' And that started the conversation about what does it mean.

"We haven't been together since we broke up, and so I think we all thought maybe it'd be a cool thing, a fun thing to do — play three songs," he continued. "So we're going there. We're gonna rehearse three songs."

French went on to say that the Metal Hall Of Fame performance shouldn't give fans the impression that there will be more TWISTED SISTER performances to follow.

"There's no reunion to speak of," he said. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one.

"People always go, 'When are you guys getting back together?' I say, 'Well, we talk all the time, but we never talk about playing. But we talk about business,'" Jay Jay added. "Why do we talk about business? Because 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' are the most licensed songs in the history of the music business; they're in more TV commercials, movie soundtracks… So we do licensing deals all day long. It's really what we do. I'm in the business of music licensing, which is a business I didn't know existed."

Earlier in the month, Portnoy confirmed that he will play drums for TWISTED SISTER at Metal Hall Of Fame. During an appearance on "The Chuck Shute Podcast", Portnoy said that he will be "the drummer" for the reunion performance and added that "we've known that we're playing for months now. I think it was only kind of made public [a few days ago]."

He continued: "Steve Vai and myself are inducting them into this Metal Hall Of Fame, and then we'll be performing a few songs there at the ceremony."

Mike's latest comments came five days after Ojeda took to his Twitter to write, "Looking forward to our induction into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame on Jan.26th 2023 in LA". A short time later, Snider shared Ojeda's tweet and added: "Looking forward to playing together for the first time since 2016...especially the rehearsal!"

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

The surviving members of the classic lineup of TWISTED SISTER — Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza — reunited virtually in March 2021 for a special episode of Mendoza's Internet TV show "22 Now". The hour-and-a-half-long program was a tribute to Pero, who died exactly six years earlier at the age of 55 while on tour with the band ADRENALINE MOB.

Prior to the March 2021 virtual reunion, the four surviving members of TWISTED SISTER reunited for two days and nights in November 2019 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic album "Stay Hungry".

In a 2021 interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast, Snider was asked if he is still steadfast about not wanting TWISTED SISTER to reunite. He responded: "[I am] one hundred percent committed to not reuniting. Now, let me just be clear: we're friends. I did a [solo] show a couple of weeks ago [on June 11 at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York] and [TWISTED SISTER bassist Mark] Mendoza showed up, and we did [TWISTED SISTER's] 'Under The Blade', and it was awesome. I talk to the guys all the time. I can show you my text messages. We have a little text group, and we were sending messages back and forth.

"To me, that was the reason to reunite, was to fix the relationships [between the members of the band], and we did fix' em, and we're friends," he explained. "I feel we did what we could do without just doing the same thing over. And I wanted to do some new, challenging things that I couldn't do within TWISTED. And the solo records I've done I could not have done with TWISTED SISTER. I could not have done 'Dee Does Broadway' with TWISTED SISTER — 'Twisted Does Broadway'. And I could not have done 'For The Love Of Metal' with TWISTED SISTER; people would never have accepted it. But as a solo artist, I'm allowed to change and evolve. And some things [fans have] liked; some things they've not liked. But at the same time, I'm allowed; no one's ever questioned [it]. And, again, if TWISTED SISTER did it, it would be, like, 'Hey, it doesn't sound like TWISTED SISTER anymore'; it would have been that kind of thing."

Circling back to the prospect of TWISTED SISTER reuniting, Dee said: "I could see us doing a charity — a couple of songs for charity, for the right reasons. We got [back] together originally for charity, which was a good reason to get together. I could see [talk show host Jimmy] Fallon — he's a big fan — if he said, 'Hey, guys, can you guys come on '[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'] and do 'White Christmas' for us?' Fuck yeah. But to do a tour, to do 90 minutes, two hours on a stage, I don't see that happening. And credit to everybody in the band, and I know some people — without naming names — some guys, they would have kept going; others did not wanna keep going. But I'm sure we get offers. Jay Jay French [TWISTED SISTER] is the manager of TWISTED, 'cause it's still an entity — there's still royalties and licenses and things like that, and merchandise — he's not presented one offer, and I'm sure we've gotten 'em. 'Cause we're not even considering it. It doesn't matter what they're offering; we're not doing it."

Proceeds from the annual Metal Hall Of Fame charity gala go to the non-profit organization D.A.D. (Drums And Disabilities). D.A.D. brings free music programs and therapy services to help special needs children and wounded veterans in various health facilities and community centers.

The Metal Hall Of Fame is a non-profit organization that enshrines forever those iconic musicians, artists, music industry executives who are responsible for making hard rock and heavy metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they keep inspiring fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.

A special Rocavaka meet-and-greet with Snider, Rocavaka's brand ambassador, will take place after the induction ceremony where limited-edition Snider numbered Rocavaka bottles will be made available for purchase and signing.

Tickets are $35 in advance or $45 at the door via www.metalhalloffame.org.

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and his solo band performed this past Wednesday, January 18 at the RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of concertsrockYouTube channel).

Joining Adler to bring songs like "Paradise City", "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O’ Mine", "Civil War", "My Michelle", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Rocket Queen" to life are guitarists Michael Thomas and Alistair James, and singer Ariel Kamin.

"You don't bet better than Michael Thomas and Alistair James; they are two of the best guitarists in rock," noted Adler.

Thomas previously has delighted music fans as the lead guitarist for ENGINES OF AGGRESSION, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and FASTER PUSSYCAT. In addition to providing Adler with smooth rhythms, James has produced recordings for HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES — the supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, and Alice Cooper.

Kamin was a well-known rocker in Argentina with such bands as CRIATURAS SALVAJES and GN'R tribute act SON OF A GUN when he was selected to come to the U.S. and join Adler in electrifying audiences with the music of GUNS N' ROSES. Audiences have been blown away.

"Ari Kamin is the total package. He's everything a rock 'n' roll front man is supposed to be," Adler said. "Not only does he have an incredible voice, he really connects with the audience. He's one of the best you'll ever experience."

In 2021, Adler told the M3 Rock Festival YouTube channel about how he ended up recruiting Kamin to front his ADLER solo band: "Actually, I went to Argentina [in November 2016] — my wife's from there; her family lives there — and the GN'R guys invited me to do a couple of songs. And so I had a little party at a club called the Roxy in [Buenos Aires], and he was the singer [that played with us that night]. You can go on my web site and see — the Roxy in Argentina. He was so great. I was, like, 'You're coming with me.' And the guitar player from the band that opened up for GN'R was so amazing. I told him, 'Come down. I wanna jam with you.' And he came down. I tell you, if [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash would have seen him playing, he would have been in the back, in the dressing room, practicing. That's how good he was."

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates in May 2018, including an Australian tour.

Although he wasn't included in the lineup that launched the "Not In This Lifetime" trek in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N' ROSES at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

In February 2017, Adler revealed that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016. The regular GUNS drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of THE BANISHMENT.

The band, a collaboration between guitarist George Lynch (LYNCH MOB, THE END MACHINE, ex-DOKKEN) and programmer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Haze, started in 2011, and since 2020, has also included Los Angeles-based artist/vocalist Devix Szell.

THE BANISHMENT will release its debut album, "Machine And Bone", on March 10.

The official music video for the track "Got What You Wanted" can be seen below.

"Machine And Bone", which features guest vocal appearances from Richard Patrick (FILTER) and Tommy Victor (PRONG),is a brooding, heavy industrial album with explosions of Lynch's bluesy and psychotic guitar licks.

Lynch emerged from the 1980s hard rock scene with the Los Angeles-based group DOKKEN and went on to become a world-renowned guitarist. Aside from DOKKEN, he also enjoyed great success with LYNCH MOB, the group he founded after leaving DOKKEN. Lynch has gone on to become a prolific (that is an understatement, to say the least) music creator, continuing with LYNCH MOB, releasing solo albums, and a wealth of collaborative efforts over the decades. Those include, but are not limited to, KXM with Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) and Ray Luzier (KORN),THE END MACHINE with Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, ex-DOKKEN),Mick Brown (ex-DOKKEN),and Robert Mason (WARRANT),SWEET & LYNCH with Michael Sweet (STRYPER),ULTRAPHONIX with Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR),DIRTY SHIRLEY with Dino Jelusick (ANIMAL DRIVE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA),and many more. THE BANISHMENT sees Lynch continuing to expand the boundaries of his musical creativity, pushing himself into darker, more subliminal, and chaotic territory.

With production credits in the realms of rock, industrial, jazz, pop, and even reggae, Haze is an incredibly versatile producer, engineer, mixer, remixer, guitarist, and programmer. In the last few years, he has brought his skills to the forefront of the industrial music scene, working prominently with the group PRIMITIVE RACE — first as a remixer and then producing the band’s sophomore album, "Soul Pretender" — and as a member of the live lineup of LORDS OF ACID, touring with the band most recently on the 2017 "Sextreme Fest" tour. He is currently in the studio working on an upcoming album from PRIMITIVE RACE member and former FAITH NO MORE singer, the late Chuck Mosley.

Szell is an American artist, singer, musician, producer, and songwriter. Szell was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora and spent his adolescence practicing guitar, writing original music, and playing experimental noise shows with local punk bands. He has spent time in bands like STAYTE, THE NARCOSIS DESIGN, MOMENTEM and SYMBOLISM, which featured former members of SAMHAIN and CHRISTIAN DEATH. He also contributed and composed scores for Catherine Hardwicke's psycho thriller rock opera "Plush", Jamie Deacon's "Way To Blue" and Susanne Landau's "Stick And Poke". He has also made his directorial debut with THE BANISHMENT's first music video, "Got What You Wanted". As a performer, Szell is earnest and chaotic, his voice haunting, powerful, and soul-stirring, with a stage presence that is mesmerizing and dramatic.

"Machine And Bone" track listing:

01. Reaction
02. Max Pain (featuring Richard Patrick)
03. Right (featuring Tommy Victor)
04. Lost Horizon
05. The Dread (featuring Jason Charles Miller)
06. Reunion
07. Terra Nullius
08. Got What You Wanted
09. Terror (featuring Tommy Victor)
10. Machine And Bone

THE BANISHMENT is:

Devix Szell - Vocals
George Lynch - Guitars
Joe Haze - Programming, Synth, Engineer, Mixer

In a new interview with the "Cheap Heat Productions" podcast, FOZZY guitarist Billy Grey said that he feels that he and his bandmates are making better albums as time goes on.

"The last two records — actually, the last three records — we started [working] with [producer] Johnny Andrews on [2014's] 'Do You Wanna Start A War' [album]; he did 'Lights Go Out' and a couple of other songs on that. But then, on the 'Judas' record [2017] and this past record 'Boombox' [2022], he wrote and produced the whole record — as far as lyrics and melody and stuff like that, he and Rich [Ward, guitar] and Chris [Jericho, vocals] did. But him as a producer opens up just so much of what the band needed to move forward. That was kind of like a new beginning, and the best is yet to come."

According to Grey, radio airplay has been very instrumental in expanding FOZZY's fanbase, particularly in the U.S., where radio reportedly reaches 87% of the population.

"Radio is a big deal here in the U.S. because that's where people hear you," he said. "And we have Spotify now; we have all the different streaming outlets. But radio still, in the U.S., is a big thing, so it really has helped us a lot.

"The 'Boombox' album is doing really well," he continued. "[The single] 'I Still Burn' did really well on radio here for us. And it's full of hooks. The album has been taken really well here. And we play quite a few songs off of it live; especially when we come out this spring on the tour, we're gonna have a lot of songs off of it. Yeah, it's been taken really well here, actually — really well."

Last November, FOZZY completed a 10-date U.K. tour. It marked the band's first live appearances since FOZZY postponed the remaining dates of its summer/fall 2022 "Save The World" tour due to a throat injury suffered by the band's lead singer, wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. According to FOZZY, Jericho sustained a bruised larynx in August at the AEW "Quake By The Lake" event in Minnesota where he squared off against Jon Moxley for the interim AEW world championship.

The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed two million views.

The 12-track "Boombox", which came out in May 2022, also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals),Rich Ward (guitars, vocals),Grant Brooks (drums),Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

An iconic band that needs no introduction, THE ROLLING STONES have officially joined TikTok, enabling creators from around the world to access their full music catalogue on the platform. For the first time, the TikTok community will be able to use the band's iconic tracks in their video creations. Users will be able to create covers and remixes of iconic hits like "Start Me Up", "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)" and "Miss You". These tracks are all available on the TikTok Sounds Page.

A chance meeting between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at Dartford train station in England in 1961 and a shared love of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry led to the emergence of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Over sixty years later, TikTok is thrilled to welcome THE ROLLING STONES and bring the group's world-renowned catalog of songs to the community.

Legendary frontman Mick Jagger will also be joining TikTok with his own personal account. He joins bandmate Keith Richards who arrived on the platform last year. Fans can follow both accounts as well as the band's official channel, which will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes content from live shows, studio recording and more. The band has also posted their first videos, featuring rare archive footage and encouraging fans to perform, move and dress like THE STONES.

To celebrate their onboarding, TikTok will be launching the official hashtag #TheRollingStones. Creators can get involved by sharing their best covers and remixes — whether it's a sped-up version or an acoustic rendition of their favorite song by the band. TikTok will also be inviting creators to move like Jagger, shred like Keith and show off their best stones-inspired looks.

Fans on TikTok can also enjoy a brand new guest playlist curated by the band. The playlist features 44 hit tunes from their catalog, including "Start Me Up", "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)", "Miss You", "Angie", "Beast Of Burden" and more.

There has been incredible demand for THE ROLLING STONES as the community have been clamoring for the band's catalog. The hashtags #TheRollingStones and #RollingStones have over 500 million views combined prior to the band's onboarding, with creators paying homage to the group's incredible contribution to music through instrumental covers, "finish the lyric" challenges, Keith Richards appreciation posts and their best Mick Jagger singing impressions. With such creativity and enthusiasm for THE ROLLING STONES already, TikTok can't wait to see how the world's most creative community uses the band's catalog of tracks.

EVANESCENCE has teamed with the makeup company HipDot for a makeup palette celebrating the band's debut album, "Fallen". The set is packaged in a "Fallen" CD-sized case that contains a ring of eight different color "tracks" that are inspired by EVANESCENCE's multi-platinum LP.

Jeff Sellinger, co-founder and CEO of HipDot, said in a statement: "HipDot continues to blend beauty and pop-culture in unique and unexpected ways, and with this we are especially excited to bring to life this new beauty concept with a band as iconic as EVANESCENCE.

"Being able to bring together two very different industries with a common goal to shock, surprise, and please is something that we are very lucky to have the ability to do. We hope that with this collaboration we are able to continue to grow the momentum around blending make-up and pop-culture.”

Track shade descriptions:

* Hello (Black - Matte)
* Going Under (Bright White - Shimmer)
* Haunted (Bright Blue/Silver - Foil)
* Bring Me to Life (Muted Blue/Grey - Matte)
* Everybody’s Fool (Dark Blue Jean - Matte)
* My Immortal (Royal Blue - Foil)
* Taking Over (Greyish Periwinkle - Foil)
* Imaginary (Deep Royal Blue - Glitter)

For more information, visit HipDot.com.

HipDot previously collaborated with KORN on a makeup palette celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's "Follow The Leader" album, and with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE on a three-piece eye makeup collection inspired by that group's second album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge".

Last November, "Fallen" was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales and streams of ten million units in the United States.

Led by the smash single "Bring Me To Life", which also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie "Daredevil", "Fallen" yielded three more singles with "Going Under", "My Immortal" and "Everybody's Fool". EVANESCENCE also won Grammys in 2004 for "Best New Artist" and "Best Hard Rock Performance".

Asked in a recent interview with Rock Sound if there are any plans for EVANESCENCE to commemorate "Fallen"'s 20th anniversary in 2023, singer Amy Lee said: "I do have an idea. It's gonna take a little bit of work. But I think it probably won't be what everybody expects. I think everybody just is, 'Oh, why don't you do a show that's, like, [playing] the album front to back?' We've been playing so many shows, I would rather do something that, to me… I don't know. I don't wanna give it away, in case it doesn't work out. Maybe I'll do nothing. Expect nothing, and then if I do something, you'll be really, really grateful. [Laughs]"

Amy also talked about the fact that "Bring Me To Life" experienced a resurgence last summer, 19 years after its original release. The song, which initially reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was EVANESCENCE's first U.K. No. 1 single, reached No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart in August.

"It is satisfying," Lee said about the track's renewed popularity. "And it's cool now, because I remember a lot of the feeling in the beginning. It was so much about, like, 'What's next?' And, 'Are we gonna be able to make it?' And, 'Are we gonna be able to survive?' And, 'Are people gonna listen to our next song?' And, 'What about the next record?' And just getting to the next place always.

"There is an element to a song like 'Bring Me To Life' that didn't exist before, which is this nostalgia," she explained. "The song has grown live. It's something that we've added to. But part of how it's grown is with its history and with what it means to everybody in the room. It's not something new; it's just something that you already have known for so long that has a place in your heart. It's just able to be more than it would have been then. So I, in a lot of ways, love it more than I did."

The success of "Fallen" led to turmoil within the group, as founding guitarist Ben Moody left in late 2003, leaving Lee as the only original member of the band.

Lee continued with new members, and EVANESCENCE issued "The Open Door" in 2006. While a hit, it did not equal the sales of "Fallen". Lee told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that she wasn't concerned about matching the previous album's success. "I just haven't ever looked at it that way," she said. "'Fallen' is a great record, but I don't think you can try to match the success of another body of work. I think that's only gonna frustrate you. And if, honestly if what you really care about is record sales and money, there's no way you're gonna make a great piece of art, because then you're just gonna get all confused and make something ingenuine."

Last February, EVANESCENCE's music video for "Bring Me To Life" — which featured guest vocals from Paul McCoy of 12 STONES — surpassed one billion views on YouTube. The Philipp Stölzl-directed clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in December of 2009, was filmed in Romania in January 2003. It features Lee in a night gown and barefoot, in her room, inside a tall building in the city at night. The rest of the band is playing on a higher floor of the building.

In March 2021, Lee told Alternative Press that EVANESCENCE's original record label Wind Up threatened not to release "Fallen" if she and her bandmates didn't add a male voice to lead single "Bring Me To Life" to make it more palatable for radio.

EVANESCENCE's latest album, "The Bitter Truth", arrived in March 2021 via BMG. It was EVANESCENCE's first album of original music in ten years.

ANTHRAX kicked off its 2023 tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and EXODUS Tuesday night (January 17) at Revolution Concert House & Event Center in Garden City, Idaho.

ANTHRAX's setlist was as follows:

01. Among The Living
02. Caught In A Mosh
03. Madhouse
04. Metal Thrashing Mad
05. Keep It In The Family
06. Antisocial (TRUST cover)
07. I Am The Law
08. In The End
09. Only
10. Got The Time (JOE JACKSON cover)
11. Bring The Noise (PUBLIC ENEMY cover)
12. Indians

EXODUS was forced to miss the Idaho concert after members of the band "were stuck on the closed Donner Pass," according to guitarist Gary Holt. EXODUS played its first show of the tour Wednesday night (January 18) in Seattle, Washington.

ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's current 24-date tour sees the two bands making stops in all new markets, with both of them playing headline sets. The trek, featuring EXODUS as support, will wrap in Oakland, California at the Fox Theatre on February 18.

In a recent interview with Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said: "We've been working on a record for fucking three years now. It's embarrassing to even say that. I feel like DEF LEPPARD."

According to Benante, who is also sitting behind the kit for the reformed PANTERA, ANTHRAX is planning to enter the studio sometime this spring to begin recording the new LP.

"Between the PANTERA [tour dates in 2023], we're gonna be working on this record, this ANTHRAX record," he said. "We're hoping to have it finished before PANTERA go to Europe [in late May]. I have a little window after that, before [PANTERA's stadium tour with] METALLICA starts. At least if I get my drum tracks done, then the other guys can continue to work on it.

"That's the plan," he added. "Unless something else happens, but hopefully nothing will happen."

Last November, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM that the band is "not in a rush" to record the new album. "We wanna make sure it's the right record," he explained. "We can't just throw out something that's not ready. So we're gonna really make sure it's the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we've been working on. Everybody can say that when they're working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I'm pretty proud of what we've come up with so far."

In August, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian praised the production quality on some of the band's recent albums, including 2011's "Worship Music" and "For All Kings". He said: [On] 'Worship [Music]' and 'For All Kings', for me, we've really kind of found our sound. We've got this base level where we're at right now with [producer] Jay Ruston where we know it's gonna be great, and then we could push it even further. Especially with the songwriting that we have right now, going into what will eventually be a new ANTHRAX album, it just lends itself to even a more aggressive production which I think we will have no problem accomplishing."

In April 2022, Scott confirmed to Metal Injection that ANTHRAX had a few songs already written for the upcoming LP. "All I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready," he said. "I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, melodic death metal band Asylence will release their new album, Endanger Us All, on February 24, 2023. In the lead-up to its unveiling, the quartet is sharing their next single “Eternity, Please”, accompanied by a music video. On this track, the band’s black metal influences are more prominent at the beginning, before taking a turn into their own sound. With a little bit of experimentation, it is the darkest and most brooding track on the record. The band dives into details about the song:


“The lyrics tell a tale of a king who wanders his halls with no question to his reign but still he suffers. Heavy and lonely is the crown, and the years can feel like an eternity alone. We wanted to continue to show off the newer material, and this one starts off as heavy as you could ever want. Definitely a blend of old influences and the newer direction we’re taking, this song was a challenge to write but we couldn’t be more proud. This song is the perfect representation of the direction we want to continue for our music.”







Vocalist Ryan Lang explains that he wrote the lyrics to this song coming out of a pretty heavy depression, and he feels like it shines through. Misery loves company, sometimes the misery never truly goes away. As for the rest of the album, lyrically it’s mixed because of the timeline in which songs were written, but overall the band feels like it hits the way it was meant to. They try to convey a message to their audience more than they try to shock with vulgarity, and Lang’s message is usually that of self-awareness and the horrors that can occur under the guise of salvation. Musically these songs weave the emotion and intensity of their message.


Endanger Us All artwork and tracklisting:





"A Call To Arms" 
"Endanger Us All" 
"The Garden of Disrespect" 
"Eternity, Please" 
"In Solidarity, We Die" 
"Arrows For Christ" 
"In This Hell" 
"Soulless"
"A War Waging Within"











 

In a new interview with Chasta Michaelis of San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo was asked if his group was fairly labeled as part of the grunge movement associated with the U.S. Northwest back the early 1990s when they came out with their debut album, "Core", and follow-up effort, "Purple". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think the four of us ever put any kind of name on what kind of music we were making. We happened to come out at a time when the people in this business were creating these terms. It's a selling point — it's all a selling point — and we got caught up, as well as other bands, in a selling point for record companies to make money. And I think when you can obviously see that is when they start doing clothing after it. It's all pretty ridiculous.

"'Interstate Love Song' — grunge? I don't think so," he continued. "I actually wrote that as a bossa nova song; that's what it started out as."

Robert released his first solo album, "Lessons Learned", last October. Robert played virtually all the instruments on the album, complemented by guest musicians and vocalists, all of which lend to the undeniable intimacy of the music.

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

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

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

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

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

Joey Belladonna has once again commented on his original split with ANTHRAX, saying "sometimes there's just no reason" for why relationships end.

Belladonna, whose most recent return to ANTHRAX was officially announced in May 2010, was originally the lead singer of ANTHRAX from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the influential thrash metal group's classic lineup (alongside guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante), which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. His voice was featured on over 10 albums, which reportedly sold eight million copies worldwide.

The 62-year-old upstate New York-based singer reflected on return to ANTHRAX during a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. Asked if part of him felt a sense of validation and approval after being approached to come back to the band, Belladonna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No one wants to hear that they were wrong; nobody likes to hear that.

"It's all in the memory; it's all in the bank. And obviously, I'll never leave my heart. And I continue to be as humble as possible and move forward, which, that's what we all wanna do."

Circling back to the fact that he had rejoined ANTHRAX for a second time, Belladonna said: "Some people were, like, 'What? Are you nuts?' You've been in relationships. It's kind of the same idea. You can either be on the same page or you can be a little deviant and send it off course and expect a lot more from someone that you're not doing your part. And what are the reasons? There's a lot to it too. Sometimes there's just no reason for it. And what do you get from it? And then you've gotta backtrack. And then you've gotta pick it up again — twice.

"I'm happy for the fans," he added. "I just think people need to see it the way it was. There was nothing wrong with it, in my eyes. I think everything we were doing, even to the last minute before I was gone… 'Persistence [Of Time]'. C'mon. [There's some] good stuff [on that album]."

Joey previously reflected on his initial departure from ANTHRAX during an appearance on a summer 2022 episode of the "Beer Rum & Rock N Roll" podcast. At the time, Belladonna said: "I didn't quit… Like, I wanted to sit around for 13 years while these guys just kept [going]. People don't wanna hear it, but that's the truth. Why would I quit?

"Forget about that record without me," he continued, apparently referring to 1993's "Sound Of White Noise" album, which featured John Bush on vocals. "I could have been on that record regardless of what they came up with. Let's just pretend they didn't even write that record yet. That record would have been cool too regardless of what you're already familiar with. I'm not saying whatever was on there wasn't right. I was in that car that rode into that record. I got sideswiped out of there.

"So, yeah, I didn't quit," Joey added. "I didn't quit anything. I don't want anybody thinking that, 'cause I wouldn't even have the heart to do that."

Belladonna also addressed the fact that he returned to ANTHRAX despite having been publicly dissed by some of the other members of the band in various interviews over the years.

"Some people are, like, 'Why the hell are you back with them? Why would you go back? That's stupid, man. You're an idiot. She cheated on you twice, dude. Don't go back with her. Come on, man. She's just gonna go out with that other guy tomorrow night,'" he said.

"It took them a long time to go, 'You suck. We didn't like you that much. And now you're all right.'

"Every day I walk in their presence in the room knowing that these people felt that way, 'cause I never felt that way about them," Joey admitted. "I don't feel that way about those people. I respect and I highly recommend everything that they do. And obviously I'm back. And I dig what we're doing right now, I dig what we're doing. But it's hard. It's hard. You get a complex, you know?"

Back in March 2010 — just a couple of months before Belladonna rejoined ANTHRAX — Ian and his wife Pearl Aday appeared on an episode of VH1's "That Metal Show" and took part in the program's "The Throwdown" feature, where the guests and the hosts debated who was the best singer for ANTHRAX: Bush or Belladonna. Countering co-host Eddie Trunk's point that ANTHRAX was in a unique position with Belladonna in the band of being able to "play incredible speed metal" while having "someone who could sing like a bird," Ian said: "We didn't need a bird; we needed a lion." After Pearl offered that she was a "huge fan" of "The Greater Of Two Evils", a collection of re-recorded older ANTHRAX tunes with Bush on vocals instead of Belladonna, Ian said: "And that's the way we, as ANTHRAX, wanted to hear those songs."

Speaking to Radio Metal in August 2011, Benante was asked about Ian's "That Metal Show" comments. He said: "I think Scott had to eat some of the words he said about that. But he only said that because I think he left things off with Joey kind of bad, and their relationship wasn't very well back then when he said that. And I think Scott just harbored some ill feelings towards Joey and I think that's kind of why he made that statement, you know?"

In 2021, the members of ANTHRAX opened up about their 1992 split with Belladonna in a 40th-anniversary video focusing on the making of the aforementioned "Sound Of White Noise" album. Regarding the decision to part ways with Belladonna, Ian said: "By the time we finished the year-and-a-half touring cycle — 20, 21 months of touring cycle, and then '[Attack Of The] Killer B's' comes out. I think the last thing we did together as a band with Joey was [our appearance] on [the] 'Married With Children' [TV show]. And then it wasn't long after that when we made the change. But it wasn't a quick decision. We were very much a united front, the four of us. Because otherwise it wouldn't have happened.

"There's never an easy way to talk about this stuff," he continued. "Certainly when you're in the thick of it, when it's happening, it's horrible when you're having to make a decision like this. But it just really came down to, creatively, we all just felt like there was just no way for the band to move forward. We had just hit a wall. It was the heaviest decision in the history of the band, certainly. And even that I feel like doesn't give it the weight that it needs. And there was never anything personal with Joey — it was never personal with him. It just really came down to the creative ability for the band, honestly, to move forward. And I hate that it's something that happened.

"Obviously, things are meant to be," Scott added. "I am somewhat of a spiritual person. I've seen and done enough in my life to know that sometimes shit doesn't just happen randomly. The way everything worked out in the end, with Joey coming back in 2010, and the band, for the last 11 years, being creatively better than we've ever been and in a better place than we've ever been, I have to say that I really believe that it all worked out for some reason. That doesn't make it any easier on Joey certainly; there's nothing I can say that ever would."

Bello said about Belladonna's exit from the group: "It's so strange for me to even talk about this now, because Joey's back in the band now, and it's like he's never been gone.

"It was a hard thing when Joey was out," he admitted. "It was a change, but I think it was best for the band 'cause of where we were going. It was a hard decision. I think we were going in a different way musically, and you could hear it."

Added Benante: "The 1991 me was more arrogant than I am now. Because the problem is I love Joey so much, and at the time we were different people doing it, and we felt this was the only thing for us to take us into the next level or the next chapter of the band. Yeah, it was tough."

Ian previously opened up about the decision to fire Belladonna nearly three decades ago during a 2016 appearance on the "WTF With Marc Maron" podcast. He stated at the time: "I just truly didn't have the patience anymore. I think my biggest problem was I was writing the words, and I couldn't deal with the fact anymore that someone else was singing my lyrics, but I couldn't sing; there was no way I could be the singer of ANTHRAX. I think it really, really did come down to that — that I couldn't stand it anymore. These are my words, these are my feelings, it's my emotions, and you're not me. And even learning the songs and hearing them back, that's not how I hear it in my head. 'No, no. Like this. Like this. Like this. Like this.'"

He continued: "My solution at the time was turning around to the rest of the band and saying, 'It's either [Joey] or me.' I pulled the same shit Neil Turbin [former ANTHRAX singer] pulled years before that. I said, 'I can't do this again. We need to make a change.' And it wasn't just me holding the gun. Everyone was on the same page. Everyone felt like what we had done as ANTHRAX in the '80s into the early '90s, we had already moved past that. The sound was changing.

"If you listen to 'Persistence Of Time' [1990], musically, that record has more to do with 'Sound Of White Noise', the first John Bush record, than it has to do with 'State Of Euphoria' [1988], the previous ANTHRAX album. Musically, we were already going somewhere else, but Joey, for us, I guess at the time, felt like, 'He's not representing us anymore.'"

Ian went on to say that he has since come to see Joey's unique vocal contributions in a different light than he did more than twenty years ago. "Of course, I spent a year of my life writing a book ['I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax'] and looking back on that time and really kind of getting back into those shoes, and… we should have given the guy a shot," he said. "Why we didn't give him the shot, I really don't know why we weren't able to… Because I even remember, I remember Jonny Z, our manager, he was, 'Are you sure? Are you sure this is the decision you wanna make?' 'Yes, yes, yes.'"

The guitarist added that at least part of the reason ANTHRAX made a singer change was to take the sound in a heavier direction, something that they didn't think was possible with Belladonna at the helm.

"I wanted it to be harder," Ian said. "I couldn't do it, but I wanted someone who could almost… I wanted it to be harder. I didn't want Lemmy — I didn't want it to sound like that — I just wanted it to be harder. And John [Bush] brought it, for sure."

Belladonna had been critical of ANTHRAX's decision to fire him at the height of the band's success, telling MikeJamesrRockShow.com seven years ago: "Personally, it sucks just to think all those years went by that I didn't really have a chance to do anything. 'Cause I could have sang on any of those records [that were made during the John Bush era]. Not to say that what they did was… whatever reason and whatever style and all that stuff. I could have easily sang that regardless, no bones. It would have been easy to sing. It's just I think they were chasing some other idea. I always say that, whether they disagree. I don't think there was any reason to move. But you know what? We're here now."

Bush told Metal Talk about the task of replacing Joey Belladonna in ANTHRAX back in 1992: "I respect Joey Belladonna; he did great for ANTHRAX in his heyday and in the years that he made records and they were popular. You know, I think I just went out and did it from my heart and just said, 'Hey, I'm gonna go out and kick ass and sing to the best of my ability.' And I think we made some great records. I just think they were different records than what ANTHRAX did in the '80s."

He continued: "The funny thing is, sometimes there was this, 'Oh, we're the same band. Oh, we're the same band,' and looking back, well, we kind of were a little different band. I think we were. But at that time, we kept trying to convince people, 'Oh, it's the same band. It's the same band.' But when you make a singer change, the sound will change a little bit, which, that was what the intention was at the time."

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", which features Belladonna, came out in February 2016 via Nuclear Blast.

Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen recently revealed he has a new project in the works via the following post: 


"Yep… it’s that time again to tease you all a bit, sorry! So here I go being all mysterious and shit. More info soon, happy 2023!"







Lucassen has followed up, revealing Supersonic Revolution is not another one of his metal opera projects:


"And another piece of the teasing puzzle. Meet my new band Supersonic Revolution… so proud of these amazing musicians!"





Line-up:


Arjen Lucassen - bass
Jaycee - vocals
Joost van den Broek - Hammond (Ayreon, Star One ex-After Forever, )
Timo Somers - guitar (ex-Delain)
Koen Herfst - drums (Anneke van Giersbergen, Vandenberg)


Stay tuned for updates.


 

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, who recently collaborated with INSANE CLOWN POSSE's Violent J on the "Saddle Up And Ride" single from his THE LUCID project, was asked in a new interview with The Travel Addict if there is anyone he would still like to collaborate or play with. He responded: "Of course. I never saw THE LUCID coming. I never saw ICP coming. I'm always open to all these things. Usually the phone rings my way and someone is asking me to do it. I would have probably never thought of it, you know? I'm always open to these things. All-star jam sessions, THE STOWAWAYS [ShipRocked cruise all-star band], METAL ALLEGIANCE, I've played for Alice Cooper's 'Christmas Pudding' a couple times [near my home] here in Arizona. All of a sudden, the phone rings and it's, like, 'Hey, you wanna join us for this thing?' And my answer is always yes. Tune your bass and go be in the room and be a part of the action. It's awesome."

In addition to Ellefson, THE LUCID features vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE),guitarist Drew Fortier and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY),

THE LUCID's new EP, "Saddle Up And Ride", will arrive on January 27.

Ellefson previously discussed how he chooses which projects to get involved with when the opportunities are presented to him during a November 2021 appearance on Rock Dance Theatre TV's YouTube livestream. At the time, he said: "Every time I made a music thing about money, there was never enough money and I certainly never liked the music. [Laughs] If you enjoy the music, if you enjoy the creative process, maybe there's not a lot of money in it, but I really don't care 'cause I'm really digging the hang. So I've learned… The bills somehow have always been paid. And it's just say yes, suit up, show up, get in a room, bring your bass, be in tune, be on time, look your best, play your best, be your best and walk in with your best attitude. Every gig is an audition for the next gig. So how you handle coming into a gig is important, and sometimes how you handle leaving a gig. 'Cause all things don't last forever, so how you depart or if there's a falling out and it doesn't work… I remember [legendary drummer] Vinny Appice saying that, 'cause he was talking about, I think, BLACK SABBATH and stuff. He said, he goes, 'You know, some people just fight their way out the door rather than just accepting, eh, that was then, and it's over.' In fact, even my friend Drew [Fortier], who's the guitar player in THE LUCID, we were talking about some stuff, and it's sort of, like, don't be sad it's over. Be glad it ever even happened. Sometimes when you look at that, it's, like, 'Yeah, that was pretty cool.' Whatever it is — whether it's a relationship, a band, a book. Be glad it even happened, man, and enjoy what was there and move on to the next one. There's gonna be more."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis more than a decade ago.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine, alleging the frontman 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.

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

Gene Simmons has praised the Swedish pop quartet ABBA for its "undeniable songwriting".

The KISS bassist/vocalist expressed his appreciation for ABBA, which recently launched a virtual "ABBA Voyage" concert series in London, while discussing the 10 albums that changed his life with Goldmine magazine.

Speaking about ABBA's "Greatest Hits", Simmons said: "Yes, we like death metal, and yes, I like THE KILLERS and I like TAME IMPALA — I like all kinds of things. But what is it that rises to a level of greatness no matter the musical genre, it's the ability to craft songs that are forever. I was going to say THE BEE GEES, but it pisses off a lot of people, but those songs are undeniable. So if I'm riding in my car and ABBA music comes on, I turn it up and that's the sign of greatness. Undeniable songwriting. You just can't touch it. That's why I have to pick ABBA because it's just undeniable. I could have said THE FOUR SEASONS or THE BEACH BOYS because there's a wealth of great material."

With nearly 400 million albums sold worldwide, 17 No. 1 hits and over 16 million weekly global streams, ABBA is one of the world's most successful music acts of all time. Ever since their breakthrough with "Waterloo" back in 1974, ABBA's music has captured the hearts of people all over the world. Today, the songs they created — written and produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and interpreted vocally with passion and commitment by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad — are regarded as an important part of the international music canon. In the 21st Century, ABBA are more popular than ever. "ABBA Gold", originally released in 1992, recently passed its 1000th week on the U.K. album chart, the first album in history to reach this milestone. Content using the #ABBA hashtag on TikTok recently reached one billion views, without the catalogue officially being available on the platform. ABBA was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010, and "Dancing Queen", one of their most beloved songs, was added to the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2015.

ABBA's new studio album, "Voyage", was released in November 2021. It marked the band's first LP in nearly 40 years. Details of "Voyage" were announced early September 2021, along with "ABBA Voyage", the revolutionary new concert that sees Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid performing digitally with a live 10-piece band, in a purpose-built "ABBA arena" at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.

Following the announcement of the brand-new album, ABBA broke Universal's record making it the fastest ever pre-order of all time in the U.K. in just three days. The concert sold over 250,000 tickets in the first three days of going on sale and saw the digital versions of ABBA perform a set jam-packed with some of their greatest hits and much-loved songs, along with new tracks "I Still Have Faith In You" and "Don't Shut Me Down".

ABBA photo credit: Baillie Walsh

STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr spoke to the "The Rockman Power Hour " about his relationship with the band's original bassist Lexxi Foxx who left the band in July 2021.

"We're all sad that [Lexxi] left, but we love him and we wish him well," Michael said. "'Cause he's a great guy. Him and I, we're still in contact. And he's very happy. He has a new baby and a wife. He's doing really good. So I'm really happy for him."

Starr also talked about Foxx's replacement, Spyder, whose addition to STEEL PANTHER was officially announced last September.

"He's amazing," Michael said. "He's a great asset to this band and this brand. He's not only a great friend… And Lexxi knows him very well too as well, 'cause he used to fill in for Lexxi. So Spyder's been around for a long time. We know him really well. And he keeps the peace in the band, man, 'cause Satchel [STEEL PANTHER guitarist] and [STEEL PANTHER drummer] Stix [Zadinia, they go at it…

"We did a five-week European tour with Spyder," Starr added. "He wasn't the [official] bass player at that time; we were still trying people out. And after we did that tour, we decided that he was the guy. So the first official tour as a brand new member of STEEL PANTHER went amazing. The response from the audience was positive.

"We always address the elephant in the room, because why not? We all miss Lexxi. And it just happened. So here we are at this point. Are you with us or are you not? And everyone was with us. So it was great, man. Feels like we didn't even miss a beat."

"Spyder is having the time of his life," Michael continued. "It's really cool to see what that's like for somebody. 'Cause all four of us, before Lexxi had left, we had worked this brand to where we're at now. We've done a lot of stuff, which is super exciting and has been fun. But we're repeating some of the bigger landmark things that we've done. But to go through it through the eyes of somebody who hasn't done it, man, it's really exciting. It makes me realize, wow, this is amazing. You just get in the rhythm of doing your shit, and sometimes you don't reflect as much as you should. But I see him so excited, and I think, 'Oh, man. This is exciting.' It's heavy metal. We're doing what we love to do. And what can be better than that?"

Almost a year and a half ago, Lexxi — whose real name is Travis Haley — told Rocking With Jam Man that he hadn't spoken with his former bandmates since his exit. "I still talk to the singer a little bit; I have in the past," he said. "But I think that those scars and I think that the departure, the way that it went down, I think there's some sore spots. But that's tough for me to talk about.

"That was something that I'm very proud of — to be that character for such a long period of time, and to play with those cats," he continued. "They're all amazing musicians. And I just think that it is different to not have that [in my life] — I'd been in character for so long — but I have to say it's a little refreshing as well."

When STEEL PANTHER first announced Lexxi's exit in July 2021, the band jokingly said that Foxx "started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown." After realizing that "his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself," he chose "to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion: making ugly dogs pretty," the group wrote in a statement.

Back in December 2018, Lexxi sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

During an appearance on an episode of the "2020'd" podcast, Satchel stated about Lexxi's departure: "We didn't want him to quit. Nobody wanted him to quit, including a lot of fans. I'm sure a lot of fans are very sad that he left. But he's the guy who left the band. I think he's got his own things he's dealing with, and he just wanted to go and do that. So, I don't know… I can't answer for Lexxi Foxx. But we will all miss Lexxi Foxx, and we all wish him the best in everything that he does. But we didn't fire him; he quit the band. So we're gonna have to move on and get somebody else who's younger and foxier and doesn't need as much Botox," referencing the drug doctors have been using for years to treat wrinkles and facial creases.

Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fifteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", will be released on February 24.

OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy was recently interviewed on "Speak N' Destroy", a podcast about all things METALLICA, hosted by longtime journalist and METALLICA fan Ryan J. Downey. Speaking about METALLICA's classic 1988 album, "…And Justice For All", and the criticism that record has received for its dry mix and nearly inaudible bass guitar, Donald said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When there's conversations with my friends… We all agree the songs are killer; you can't deny those songs. I like the drum production, and some of my friends absolutely hate it. And there is something weird about it; it makes you feel like you just got out of a swimming pool and your ears are a little bit off. And I get that. But maybe because I loved the record, maybe because I loved the drumming on it, and maybe because it fit the production of the guitars and stuff, I just thought it was killer. I had no problem with that.

"I'm not a dude to argue with friends again and again, night after night about production," he explained. "Trust me — I've heard the reviews of our productions over the years. You can disagree or agree, or agree to disagree. But I liked it. And it's funny that some people just thought it was a bad production. It was a different production, but there's nothing bad about it."

While "…And Justice For All" is considered one of METALLICA's classics, it has been panned almost since the day it was released for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Jason Newsted's playing is virtually buried in the mix — and many fans feel that drummer Lars Ulrich, who had very specific ideas for how he wanted his drums to sound, is to blame.

In 2021, Newsted told Metal Hammer that he was "fucking livid" when he heard "...And Justice For All" for the first time. "Are you kidding me?" he said. "I was ready [to go] for throats, man! No, I was out of my head, because I really thought I did well. And I thought I played how I was supposed to play."

Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that fans were extremely vocal about the sound of the album at the time of its release. "I mean, it was unbelievable, you know, '...And Justice For All', " he said. "People were saying, 'That's the worst-sounding record, where's the bass, and it sounds like it was recorded in a garage, and...' But, you know, listen, you do the best you can in the moment and then you move on."

In a 2008 interview with Decibel magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett attempted to explain the lack of bass on "…And Justice For All", saying that "the reason you can't hear the bass so well is because the bass frequencies in Jason's tone kinda interfered with the tone that James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist] was trying to shoot for with his rhythm guitar sound, and every time the two blended together, it just wasn't happening. So the only thing left to do was turn the bass down in the mix. It was unfortunate, but for some reason or another, that album is known for the low end being there without the bass being very high up in the mix. It was an experiment, too — we were totally going for a dry, in-your-face sound, and some people really like that sound. A lot of the newer-generation bands, especially, think that album sounds great. But at the end of the day, it was an experiment. I'm not really sure it was 100 percent successful, but it is a unique sound that that album has."

Japanese pop-metal band BABYMETAL has a trailer for its first concept album, "The Other One". The trailer previews snippets of all 10 songs from the release while also showing visual imagery for each track.

"The Other One" will see a simultaneous global release on March 24, with Cooking Vinyl serving as BABYMETAL's label home outside Japan.

Last year BABYMETAL was "sealed" from the world after a successful 10-year journey. In April 2022, "The Other One" restoration project began to recover the BABYMETAL we never knew existed within a virtual world called the Metalverse. A total of 10 songs have been discovered within "The Other One" restoration project, with each song representing a unique theme based on 10 separate parallel worlds that they have discovered. The upcoming concept album features these all-new tracks for us to experience the other BABYMETAL story that no one ever knew about.

Mastered again by the legendary mastering engineer Ted Jensen, "The Other One" allows listeners to continue experiencing the evolved BABYMETAL sound this concept album has to offer.

Prior to the release of "The Other One", the third pre-release single "Metal Kingdom" is available now for download and streaming. This follows previous singles "Divine Attack - Shingeki –", released last October, and the second single "Monochrome", released last November. One of the discovered 10 parallel worlds is Throne, and this third single centers around this theme. It is a powerful anthem ushering in the beginning of a new era while also representing the power and courage to step forward into uncharted territory. The track conveys imagery of one rising powerfully from the throne of silence, with a suitable fanfare announcing this new beginning.

"The Other One" track listing:

01. Metal Kingdom
02. Divine Attack - Shingeki -
03. Mirror Mirror
04. Maya
05. Time Wave
06. Believing
07. Metalizm
08. Monochrome
09. Light And Darkness
10. The Legend

BABYMETAL will make a return to the live scene alongside SABATON and LORDI on their European tour in April and May.

BABYMETAL was formed in 2010. Their mission was to unify the world through heavy metal by creating a fusion of heavy metal and the Japanese pop genre. Their music contains a stunning mix of electronic pop, a pinch of alternative and industrial rock, and is leveled up by fast-driven heavy metal. Their live shows are ground-breaking and epic visual as well as sound performances. BABYMETAL continued to travel the path of metal with the international release of their three albums, telling the story of the mighty Fox God and his brave metal warriors.

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October 2020. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

BABYMETAL's third studio album, "Metal Galaxy", came out in October 2019 via earMUSIC/Edel. The follow-up to 2016's "Metal Resistance" was based on the concept of "The Odyssey Of Metal Galaxy".

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

Dolly Parton says that Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Steven Tyler are among the artists who will appear on her much-anticipated rock album.

Titled "Rock Star", the LP will feature covers of classic songs by legendary acts, including THE ROLLING STONES' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and LED ZEPPELIN's "Stairway To Heaven".

During a new appearance on "The View", Dolly said: "If I'm going to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I better do something to earn it. So I'm doing a rock 'n' roll album and I'm having a lot of the rock stars that I met that night be on the album with me."

"The View" co-host Joy Behar asked Parton if THE ROLLING STONES singer Mick Jagger will be featured on her cover of "Satisfaction", to which Parton replied: "I'm doin' my best to try to get him on, but I did his song anyway. I think Pink and Brandi Carlile are gonna be singing on that particular song with me.

"We've got great artists like Paul McCartney singing with me. Stevie Nicks, we just finished our song last night," Parton told "The View" hosts, before revealing that John Fogerty, Steve Perry and Steven Tyler will also join her on the collection.

"We got a lot of iconic singers that are going to be on with us. So I'm looking forward to it," she said. "I'm even going to have Cher on. I've been getting a song for her. We've been trying to get the right thing together but that's going to be a big thrill."

Parton last month said she wanted Elton John to appear on the project, which is due for release later this year. Prior to that, the country icon expressed her desire to reunite LED ZEPPELIN's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant on the album.

Dolly told BBC Radio 2 about "Rock Star": "I'm working on that album and that will be coming out sometime next fall hopefully, in time for the Christmas season next year. And so I'm going to do a lot of classic songs that are rock songs and then a few that I've written."

After Dolly was nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame a year ago, she initially asked to be withdrawn from the list, but she eventually changed her mind and accept the honor.

A new song featuring Parton, Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper and more will be released this Friday, January 20. "Gonna Be You" will be included on the soundtrack to the upcoming film "80 For Brady".

Photo credit: Stacie Huckeba

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Keenan, who has played with Anselmo in their side project DOWN for more than 30 years, discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with the "BREWtally Speaking" podcast. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I know the PANTERA crew; I know everybody like the back of my hand. And Phil sings in DOWN. On a selfish note, yeah, is it gonna put DOWN on the backburner for a year or two? Sure. Do they need to get this off their chest and get it out there? Yes. Do the kids need to hear this? Yes.

"It's insane," he continued. "They've got Grady [Champion], Darrell's tech, is with them. Sonny [Satterfield], their [original] lighting guy, is with them. It's gonna be a very cathartic thing.

"They've been working really hard at it. And those guys all deserve it.

"I don't care what anybody says — I could give a rat's ass — but I know internally they need to close the book," Pepper added. "And they're gonna do it. And it's gonna be great.

"People need to hear that shit, dude. I think they've got a good lineup and the way it's gonna work. And they're all working their butts off. That's a fact."

Last month, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America. The band will next headline the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event will take place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.