In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, former HIM frontman Ville Valo spoke about his penchant for writing music that is simultaneously dark and uplifting. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It comes from the heart. It's stuff I'm still questioning. It's about trying to figure out when to hold on and when to let go, and when letting go is less of an egocentric decision to make and more based out of love. But once you have let go, there's no going back. And it's not talking about life and death all the time; it's about important things, the things that you feel in your tummy, that pang or whatever you wanna call it. It's always there and I'm still questioning that stuff.

"I love being able to send mixed messages and to have one sense and say the other and the other and the other, because that's how we are as people — I think," he explained. "People are quite indecisive, especially when it concerns the matters of the heart. But it is crazy how music can work in such a cathartic fashion and how it is that when we are sad, we want to listen to even sadder music, and that makes us happier. It's funny how it works in that fashion. But that's how music has always been for me. And I think music is also an easier way to deal with very, very deep and even dark emotions. It's like a viral thing — it travels so easy, you don't have to think about it when you're singing and when you're emoting. The music has a way of infiltrating your — at least subconscious, but conscious as well, and taking over for that wee bit. And I think that through that, the catharsis might happen. And that is an unbelievable power in music. I am a bit of a drama king, and I am a self-confessed romantic, so for me, that is the stuff that makes the most sense."

Valo's debut solo album, "Neon Noir", will arrive on January 13 via Heartagram Records, distributed by UMG/Spinefarm.

Ville has released three singles so far from "Neon Noir": "The Foreverlost", "Echolocate Your Love", and "Loveletting". The latter marked Ville's first new music in over two years, following the release of the three-track "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" EP, also released under the VV banner, in March 2020.

Like "Echolocate Your Love" and "Loveletting", "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" bore a strong musical resemblance to HIM and featured the tracks "Salute The Sanguine", "Run Away From The Sun" and "Saturnine Saturnalia".

HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career.

Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as "love metal" (also the title of their fourth album).

HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick),and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).

Three years ago, Valo teamed up with guitar legend Esa Pulliainen to record an album based on songs by the late, legendary Finnish singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. The self-titled album by VILLE VALO & AGENTS was released in February 2019 and was followed by a short tour.

Photo credit: Juha Mustonen

Orgy will release their new single, "Empty", on Friday, January 13. A new EP from the band is due this summer.


"I'm excited to finally start getting these tracks out for Orgy again. As we move toward a new direction musically speaking, I wanted to put a track out that has a bit of that signature Orgy sound, and hint at what's coming next. Hope everyone will see the big picture and enjoy this track called 'Empty' about being drained from always trying to make everyone happy." - Jay Gordon


Watch a teaser clip below:







Jay Gordon adds: "The band is excited about a few up & coming dates; The Whisky a Go Go on March 24, and most notably Live Nation’s “Sick New World” music festival on May 13. We will be adding a few select dates along the way, in support of the new music we have coming out soon!"





(Photo - Whiskey Shotz Photography)

Gene Simmons has blasted Rolling Stone magazine for placing Ozzy Osbourne at No. 112 on its list of the 200 greatest singers of all time.

The updated list, which began in 2008, ranges from Aretha Franklin to Rosalía and other artists known for standout singing. This time around, the list excludes powerhouses like Celine Dion, Pink, Jennifer Hudson, Nat King Cole, Dionne Warwick and more.

Simmons weighed in on the list after being asked about it by a TMZ reporter. When the reporter noted that KISS was excluded from the list, Gene said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, that's okay. I was thinking of buyingRolling Stone."

The KISS bassist/vocalist added: "Well, it's skewed. You have to consider who's popular and who's not. But if you really think about it, how good somebody sings may be part and parcel of what they do. For instance, if Jimi Hendrix, who had a long — well, actually a short career, but he was very famous, would he make it on 'American Idol'? How about Bob Dylan... And I wrote songs with Bob Dylan; I know the guy. Would he make it on 'American Idol'?

Gene continued: "How well you sing is not the most important thing. It's, do you have style? Do you have a fingerprint that says, 'I know that voice immediately'?"

Pressed about the fact that Ozzy made the list at No. 112, Gene said: "That's a crime. Look, somebody sits in a backroom — Jann Wenner [Rolling Stone co-founder] and those guys — they sit in a backroom and they decide things. Nobody asked me. Did they ask you? Apparently not."

Asked where he would have been on the list if it had been compiled properly, Simmons replied: "Oh, I don't give a fuck. Really."

As for whether any of the artists should care about such a list, Gene said: "No, they shouldn't. If you've got success, that's enough. Accolades and all that, you get that when you do a concert or when fans come up. That's the best thing. To be on a poll by a magazine by people in the backroom, I don't know how much that means."

Rolling Stone's list also includes artists like Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Chris Cornell, Steve Perry, Eddie Vedder, Rob Halford, Axl Rose, Ronnie James Dio, Iggy Pop and Glenn Danzig.

The list was compiled by Rolling Stone staff members and contributors, unlike its 2008 list that used an "elaborate voting process".

The publication anticipated complaints from fans who disagreed with Rolling Stone's choices, writing in the introduction: "Before you start scrolling (and commenting),keep in mind that this is the Greatest Singers list, not the Greatest Voices List. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent. Sure, many of the people here were born with massive pipes, perfect pitch, and boundless range. Others have rougher, stranger, or more delicate instruments… In all cases, what mattered most to us was originality, influence, the depth of an artist's catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy."

Longtime PANTERA producer Sterling Winfield, reportedly one of the people who control PANTERA drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott's estate, spoke to Reckless Rock Radio 89.3 KNON FM about the reformation of PANTERA, featuring surviving members Rex Brown (bass) and Philip Anselmo (vocals) along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

Winfield, who was one of the people who attended a PANTERA dress rehearsal in New Orleans on November 21, less than two weeks before the reconfigured band played its first show, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When I was in New Orleans, I knew it was gonna be huge because I got to see how serious they are taking this, how to heart they are taking this. Phil and Rex are different people now; they are not the same people from 20-something years ago. You mature, you grow up, you own your mistakes, you move forward in your life and you hope to make a better way for yourself. And that's exactly what I see here."

Winfield went on to say that "this is not a reunion", despite the fact that Brown, Anselmo, Wylde and Benante are touring under the PANTERA banner. "It is not PANTERA 2.0, at least not at this point," he said. "Whatever you wanna think, that's fine; go ahead and make your assumptions. But it was the media that called this a reunion; it was the media that called this the reformation of PANTERA — not them. They never put this out there as that; they put this strictly out there as a tribute to the brothers [Vinnie Paul and PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] and for the fans and for the music and for the legacy of this music, to bring it to another generation of people."

He added: "There's little kids out there wearing PANTERA shirts, and it's amazing to watch, because, yes, since Dime got killed, there's a whole generation of people that have been born on this earth."

According to Sterling, Wylde and Benante are absolutely the right people to perform the PANTERA material with the kind of respect and attention to detail that it deserves. "I cannot think of anyone better to handle the duties of Dime and Vinnie than Zakk and Charlie," he said. "I've known both of those dudes for a very long time. And Charlie is just a model human being himself and a monster drummer and loved the brothers like you wouldn't believe. And same goes for Zakk.

"They're not trying to be Dime and Vinnie, guys; they're not trying to be that," he explained. "That would be disrespectful. But they are being themselves and they are having fun. And I think you should come out and do it too. Even just watch some of the videos. You've seen 'em on YouTube. These crowds are insane, and I think you're gonna be missing out if you don't come check it out."

Addressing the question of whether other musicians were considered for the drummer and guitarist position in the new PANTERA lineup, Winfield said: "There was no doubt in my mind that he would be the one to take over for Vinnie. [It was a] no-brainer — absolute no-brainer. Now, there were some other guitar folks that were brought up. I'll just say this — that it would not have been a good fit, and quite honestly, they would not have been able to pull it off. But it always kept circling back around to Zakk. And after a couple of times, it was, like, again another no-brainer. Because he knew Dime better than most any other guitar player on the planet knew him. Is it gonna be Dimebag Darrell's exact notes and riffs and everything? No. It's Zakk Wylde, you idiots. It's Zakk."

Regarding the possibility of the reformed PANTERA recording new music, Winfield said: "It's not unheard of, it's not blasphemous. I will say that it is entirely plausible, it is entirely possible, but at this point in time, I don't know that anybody's looking that far down the road. They've got a world tour to tackle, man, for the next two years, and they are gonna be busy doing that. Now, could it happen? Yes."

Asked if he "would be cool" with Brown, Anselmo, Wylde and Benante making new music together, Sterling said: "It depends, man. Again, it has to be done right, like this whole thing; the whole tour that's happening has to be done properly. And I don't really feel comfortable — if it were to happen, I would not feel comfortable calling it PANTERA. I don't think that would be classy. I'll put it that way. And I'll just leave it at that for now. [But] this lineup could make some very badass music. And the music is all that matters."

In a recent interview with Overdrive, ALTER BRIDGE and CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti said that he spoke with Brown "a number of years ago" about PANTERA's then-hypothetical return, and Rex suggested that he "put [his] name in the hat" of potential guitarists who might fill the shoes of Dimebag. According to Tremonti, he responded to Brown's suggestion with an emphatic "Hell no!", explaining that "you have to be a certain type of personality to take on that role." BLABBERMOUTH.NET has also heard rumors that SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was approached to take part in the PANTERA comeback, but this has never been publicly corroborated by anyone associated with Anselmo, Brown and the Abbott brothers' respective estates.

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.

According to TMZ, Vinnie Paul left the bulk of his estate to his longtime girlfriend Chelsey Yeager and his best friend; Charles Jones got 38% while Chelsey walked away with 37%. The rest was split between Vinnie's tour manager (10%),drum tech (5%),producer (5%) and friend (5%). In addition, Vinnie gave his interest in Dimebag's estate to the guitarist's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney.

While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a PANTERA reunion, telling Germany's EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: "People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don't care what you want. And it's unfortunate that people go, 'Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it's PANTERA again.' No, it's not, you know. It's not that simple. If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, 'Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.' You see what I'm saying? I mean, it's really selfish for people to think that, and it's stupid. It's not right at all."

He continued: "They call it a reunion for a reason. It's called bringing the original members back to what it was. So there's a lot of these things that they call reunions that aren't really reunions. They've got one dude from the band floating around in them, you know. That's not a true reunion. With PANTERA, it'll never be possible."

He repeated those same sentiments a few months later, telling PlanetMosh in a separate interview: "Without Dimebag Darrell, there is no [PANTERA] reunion. And that's all there is to it. We were a very influential band, and we touched millions and millions of people with that band, but it's over. People really have to come to grips with that, and that's all there is to it. If all of us were still here, then the possibility would truly be there, but since it's not, you know… It's selfish of the fans to want something that they can't have. And they don't ever understand that, and I get it. There's things I want in this world too. You know, people in fucking hell want ice water, but they're not gonna get it. So… Anyways, I'm glad that the people who have decided to follow me in HELLYEAH do, and hopefully more of them will. And the ones that wanna live in the past are gonna live in the past."

Up until his passing in June 2018, 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.

Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

Vinnie, who is Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.

PANTERA played its first show in over 20 years on December 2, a co-headlining slot at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest.

SLIPKNOT's Jay Weinberg has once again reflected on being asked to fill in for his dad as the touring drummer for BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND a decade and a half ago.

The now-32-year-old musician looked back on the experience while expressing his excitement over the fact that BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND are preparing to embark on their first tour in six years.

Earlier today (Monday, January 2),Jay shared a throwback photo of him onstage with Bruce, and he included the following message: "I'm so stoked that it's only ONE MONTH until I see my E STREET family play for the first time in six years!

"I've said it often, but I'm eternally grateful to @springsteen, @mightymaxweinberg, and the entire E STREET BAND for taking a shot in the dark on me when I was 18 years old — to undertake the no-times-in-a-lifetime opportunity of filling in for my father.

"Far more than learning several hundred songs and performing for close to four hours every night, it was the E STREET work ethic that made an indelible impression on me. A vertical learning curve that left me with life lessons and a skill set I've applied to everything I've ever done since.

"Each day on tour, Bruce would hand me a list of five new songs to learn on the way to the venue to rehearse at soundcheck. Two or three of them would likely make their way into the set that night. Rock the house, head to the next city, and repeat.

"Always in the right place at the right time, the amazing @dannybones64 caught this moment about 14 years ago in the thick of that process. A powerful reminder that the work of growing and pushing ourselves as musicians and artists is never done.

"Observing how these titans of rock and roll dedicate themselves to their craft — constantly refining, sharpening, and growing after almost 50 years — is still so inspiring, and will stay with me for the rest of my life.

"Thrilled to watch them resume throwing down onstage in a month".

Three years ago, Jay told the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast that being asked to fill in for his dad with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND "was completely insane. And I didn't expect for that to happen, but the stars aligned in that way that just like it was one of those 'right places at the right time' kind of things," he said.

"I was the last kid of all the people in [THE E STREET BAND]," he continued. "After the band had kind of split up in '88, all the guys in the band had kids and went on to do other things. Then they got back together in '99, and the kids in the band — my sister, actually, included; she got up a couple of times and played keyboards with them — and all the kids had kind of gotten up and played the guitar and stuff like that. I was the last one who had never gotten on stage to do anything, 'cause I was deathly afraid of it. If I was messing up on the drums, you can't just pull me down in the mix and stuff; it'd be catastrophic.

"I had finished high school, and that summer [of 2008], they were playing some shows at Giants Stadium in New Jersey," Jay said. "It was the old Giants Stadium, before they tore it down and built a new one. And so my dad was, like, 'Oh, you should play a song with us at soundcheck.' And so I did. And Bruce was, like, 'Hey, that was pretty good. Why don't you play that tonight during the show?' And so I was just so nervous, but I wanted to do it and wanted to kind of rise to that occasion and be, like, 'All right. You can do it once and then you never have to do it again. You can say you did it.' So I played the song 'Born To Run' with them that night, and it went great. So I could just rest my cap on that, and that was it. But then, a couple of months later, they had this scheduling conflict where the late-night 'Conan' program [where Max served as the bandleader], everybody was moving out to California and it was gonna become 'The Tonight Show'. And the show was gonna be an hour earlier, and they were gonna taping in California. It was a really big change for the show, and so my dad had to be there for the start of that show — I think the first show was gonna be, like, June 1st of that year. Bruce had coincidentally booked a European tour to start May 31st, so my dad, all of a sudden, had to be in two places at once. And so they kind of got together and said, 'Hey, we've gotta figure out what we're gonna do when you have to go to the TV show and we need somebody onstage.'

"I've known all these people since I was a child — these are all my uncles: Steve and Garry and Clarence [and] Danny, of course. Now Danny passed. But this is like my extended my family, and I think Bruce asked my dad more as a dad and not necessarily of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND Bruce. Like, 'Do you think Jay would wanna do that? Do you think he'd crack under that pressure?' And I think my dad was, like, 'I don't know. We're gonna find out.'

"So, yeah, I remember Bruce called me and asked if I would like to. And I couldn't believe it, but he basically then just kind of sent me a list of, like, 'All right. Get started on learning these couple of hundred songs, and we'll go from there, and we'll add on to it from there.' And that's what we did. For about a year, I was filling in for my dad in that way."

Jay also reflected in more detail on his first performance with Springsteen, which took place in August 2008 at Giants Stadium.

"That was like total 'fight or flight' kind of moment — everything just goes numb," he said. "You just have to turn off and let your subconscious roll with it. And I had only been playing drums for three years at that point, too. So it was a huge, huge pressure, but I kind of just blacked out and played it, and then, at the end, when it was over, I couldn't believe that that had happened. And it went well. I could have believed it if it had been total shit. But it did go well. We played the song, and I think people enjoyed it. But, yeah, it was like 70 thousand people or something like that. It didn't look real — it looked like I was looking into a TV screen or something like that. I think that kind of helped — it was so ridiculous to look at that I don't think I could even process that it was a thing that was actually happening."

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2014.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

SLIPKNOT's latest studio album, "The End, So Far", was released last September.

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QUEENSRŸCHE's Todd La Torre has publicly disagreed with TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider on the issue of what makes great "frontmen" in rock.

Snider ignited the debate late last month on Twitter, after a fan's reply to a tweet that praised Ronnie James Dio as the second greatest frontman in rock following Freddie Mercury.

"You are confusing singing with performing. There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer," Snider wrote in response to the fan. "Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, he pretty much just stood on stage & sang. Freddie was an amazing singer AND frontman."

Snider expressed similar sentiments about Plant, saying: "I'm a HUGE Plant fan vocally…but he showed me nothing as a performer. Looked amazing, great hair…stood on stage with one hand raised and sang his ass off. Not a frontman in my opinion. And FYI many great frontmen are not great singers."

Snider later doubled down on his opinion of Dio, referencing his first-hand experiences with the legendary heavy metal singer. He explained: "I toured with him. … He is one of my vocal heroes, but… My frontmen are all over the stage and interact with the crowd. Showmen. Think David Lee Roth, Paul Stanley, Mick Jagger, Freddy Mercury, Axl Rose…the list goes on."

Snider then supported his position by making the distinction between performance and "stage presence". He said: "I knew this would upset people. I am NOT saying that Dio, Plant etc, don't have stage presence. They have it in SPADES! But they are not performers."

Snider also mentioned other singers he calls great frontmen, including IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson, Bono, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and James Brown. He also included Kid Rock in his list, explaining: "Love him or hate him, @KidRock is one of the best I've ever seen. … Facts are facts. The guy is a killer in concert. Period. (and I am REALLY critical)."

One day after BLABBERMOUTH.NET published a story about Snider's comments, La Torre took to this site's Facebook's page to weigh in on the debate. He wrote: "Dio and Plant didn't have to run around doing jumps, spinning mic stands, or anything else, unless one's subjective opinion requires that as a prerequisite. They commanded the stage with their sheer presence and voice, and that alone was all anyone wanted, needed, and more. I'd say that makes them great frontmen."

**UPDATE**: BLABBERMOUTH.NET initially published this article under the headline "TODD LA TORRE To DEE SNIDER: 'DIO And PLANT Didn't Have To Run Around Doing Jumps, Spinning Mic Stands, Or Anything Else'", prompting La Torre to clarify in a separate post: "This was not 'to' Dee. This was merely a reply to the subject. I have much respect for Dee and his work, so I would have appreciated the headline not be framed as my comment being directed TO Dee. I stand by my statement, but with all due respect, this headline is a little inflammatory and misleading."
How amazing was Cozy Powell? Listen to the 1st 11 seconds of this Rainbow song & you will know...https://t.co/EqMu4hd7rU

Then listen to the rest of "Stargazer" with the incomparable Ronnie Dio on vocals & you will know why many consider it to be the greatest metal song ever! https://t.co/ozjPk5yfvO

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


You are confusing singing with performing.

There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer.

Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, he pretty much just stood on stage & sang.

Freddie was an amazing singer AND frontman. https://t.co/akrNVaoI49

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I'm a HUGE Plant fan vocally...but he showed me nothing as a performer. Looked amazing, great hair...stood on stage with one hand raised and sang his ass off. Not a frontman in my opinion.

And FYI many great frontmen are not great singers. https://t.co/621U1fnBdM

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I knew this would upset people.

I am NOT saying that Dio, Plant etc, don't have stage presence. They have it in SPADES!

But they are not performers. https://t.co/kcrujhlZ0e

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I pride myself in my abilities, but many don't know me for it because I didn't tour as extensively as others. If you ask me what I do best I will tell you "front a band". https://t.co/BGYmFycpPO

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


True. But in fairness, some aren't willing to sacrifice vocal quality for performing on stage. Like I said, it's tough to execute studio vocal perfection when you are running around. https://t.co/Q1so98Cyw1

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I learned the importance of the performance over vocals one night in the 70's in a club with @TwistedSisterNY. We did our opening song & my voice was completely gone. So I just started going crazy on stage. It was the BEST reaction the band had gotten to date. Changed my game. https://t.co/Q9stDwP3Ft

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022

Dee Snider says that Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio are great singers but are "not performers".

The TWISTED SISTER vocalist broached the subject while commemorating what would have been late drummer Cozy Powell's (RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH) 75th birthday late last month. After calling Powell a "rock god", Snider urged his Twitter followers to listen to the first 11 seconds of RAINBOW's classic song "Stargazer" and "then listen to the rest of" the track "with the incomparable Ronnie Dio on vocals & you will know why many consider it to be the greatest metal song ever!" This prompted a fan to opine that the late singer was the second-best frontman in rock history, with QUEEN's Freddie Mercury taking the top spot. In response, Dee argued that "singer" and "frontman" are terms that mean different things.

"You are confusing singing with performing," Dee tweeted. "There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer. Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, he pretty much just stood on stage & sang. Freddie was an amazing singer AND frontman."

After another fan chimed in that Robert Plant should "definitely" be on that list since he was the "quintessential frontman" at his prime in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dee said that while he was a "huge" fan of the LED ZEPPELIN legend's singing, he didn't think much of Plant as a "frontman". "I'm a HUGE Plant fan vocally...but he showed me nothing as a performer," Snider wrote. "Looked amazing, great hair...stood on stage with one hand raised and sang his ass off. Not a frontman in my opinion. And FYI many great frontmen are not great singers."

Snider later added: "My frontmen are all over the stage and interact with the crowd. Showmen. Think David Lee Roth, Paul Stanley, Mick Jagger… Axl Rose… the list goes on." After getting more pushback from other Twitter users, Dee noted, "I knew this would upset people," before trying to explain: "I am NOT saying that Dio, Plant etc, don't have stage presence. They have it in SPADES! But they are not performers."

Dee added: "I pride myself in my abilities, but many don't know me for it because I didn't tour as extensively as others. If you ask me what I do best I will tell you 'front a band.'"

He later recounted: "I learned the importance of the performance over vocals one night in the '70s in a club with TWISTED SISTER. We did our opening song and my voice was completely gone. So I just started going crazy on stage. It was the BEST reaction the band had gotten to date. Changed my game."

When another Twitter user said he thought a singer like SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell had delivered amazing vocal performances but "behaved like a mannequin" on stage, Snider replied: "True. But in fairness, some aren't willing to sacrifice vocal quality for performing on stage… it's tough to execute studio vocal perfection when you are running around." He added: "My feeling always was if you want to hear the album played perfectly, stay home and listen. Live should be… live!"
How amazing was Cozy Powell? Listen to the 1st 11 seconds of this Rainbow song & you will know...https://t.co/EqMu4hd7rU

Then listen to the rest of "Stargazer" with the incomparable Ronnie Dio on vocals & you will know why many consider it to be the greatest metal song ever! https://t.co/ozjPk5yfvO

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


You are confusing singing with performing.

There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer.

Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, he pretty much just stood on stage & sang.

Freddie was an amazing singer AND frontman. https://t.co/akrNVaoI49

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I'm a HUGE Plant fan vocally...but he showed me nothing as a performer. Looked amazing, great hair...stood on stage with one hand raised and sang his ass off. Not a frontman in my opinion.

And FYI many great frontmen are not great singers. https://t.co/621U1fnBdM

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I knew this would upset people.

I am NOT saying that Dio, Plant etc, don't have stage presence. They have it in SPADES!

But they are not performers. https://t.co/kcrujhlZ0e

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I pride myself in my abilities, but many don't know me for it because I didn't tour as extensively as others. If you ask me what I do best I will tell you "front a band". https://t.co/BGYmFycpPO

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


True. But in fairness, some aren't willing to sacrifice vocal quality for performing on stage. Like I said, it's tough to execute studio vocal perfection when you are running around. https://t.co/Q1so98Cyw1

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022


I learned the importance of the performance over vocals one night in the 70's in a club with @TwistedSisterNY. We did our opening song & my voice was completely gone. So I just started going crazy on stage. It was the BEST reaction the band had gotten to date. Changed my game. https://t.co/Q9stDwP3Ft

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) December 30, 2022

Sharon Osbourne has opened up about her recent hospital visit.

The incident occurred on December 16 when the 70-year-old wife and manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne was filming at the Glen Tavern Inn, a location once featured on the Travel Channel's "Ghost Adventurers", in Santa Paula, California.

Sharon and Ozzy's son Jack later confirmed she had been released from hospital and a representative has since revealed Sharon had fainted.

Sharon made her first appearance on her TalkTV show since the incident on Tuesday (January 3) after telling fans earlier this week she would be returning.

Asked by journalist JJ Anisiobi what caused her to be transported to the hospital, Sharon said: "I wish I could [tell you], but I can't. It was the weirdest thing. I was doing some filming, and suddenly, they tell me that I [passed out] for 20 minutes. And I was in hospital. I went to one hospital. They took me to another hospital, and I did every test over two days, and nobody knows why [I passed out]."

The Ventura County Fire Dept. confirmed the incident to TMZ, saying it happened around 6:30 p.m. Santa Paula Police Chief Don Aguilar confirmed Sharon was the patient.

A manager at the Glen Tavern Inn disclosed there was an "emergency," but declined to share more information with TMZ.

Sharon first publicly addressed her accident late last month, writing on social media: "Back home and doing great! Thank you for all the [love]."

Osbourne has had past health issues. She underwent a series of more than 20 chemotherapy treatments for colon cancer in 2002. Those treatments were covered in the second season of MTV's reality show "The Osbournes" — after she was declared cancer-free.

In April 2022, Osbourne revealed she had a facelift last year that left her with a "horrendous" outcome. "It hurt like hell. You have no idea," she added of the cosmetic surgery.

Sharon and Ozzy celebrated their 40th anniversary in July 2022. The couple also shares two daughters, Kelly and Aimee. Additionally, they're grandparents to Jack's four children and Kelly's first baby.

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After 55 years with REO SPEEDWAGON and having spent his entire adult life on the road, keyboardist and founding member Neal Doughty has decided the time was right to retire from touring and begin enjoying the fruits of his years of hard work.

"I want everyone to know that it was all that traveling that finally got to me," the 76-year-old Neal explains in a statement. "I always enjoyed playing the shows and looking out to see all the loyal fans who allowed me to do this for so long."

"Neal will always be a member of the REO brotherhood," says bassist Bruce Hall, "and we all wish him well as he enters this exciting phase of his life."

REO SPEEDWAGON will continue as the unstoppable touring machine the fans have come to expect, with 50-plus shows already on the books for 2023. Doughty may join them on select concert stops.

"It will be a big change to look around and not see Neal behind the keyboards," says singer Kevin Cronin, "and we will miss his quick wit and interesting conversation on those long bus rides. But this is what Neal needs, and we support him."

Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by Cronin since 1972, REO SPEEDWAGON's unrelenting drive, as well as non-stop touring and recording jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band's explosive "Hi Infidelity" in 1980, which contained the massive hit singles "Keep On Loving You" and "Take It On the Run". That landmark album spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot and has since earned the RIAA's coveted diamond award for surpassing sales of 10 million units in the United States.

From 1977 to 1989, REO SPEEDWAGON released nine consecutive albums all certified platinum or higher. REO SPEEDWAGON has sold more than 40 million albums around the globe, and Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass),Neal Doughty (keyboards),Dave Amato (guitar),and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences worldwide in concert with hits and fan-favorites such as "Ridin' The Storm Out", "Can't Fight This Feeling", "Time For Me To Fly", "Roll With The Changes", "Keep On Loving You", "Take It On the Run" and many, many more.

REO SPEEDWAGON remained busy throughout the pandemic before the band was able to return to the road. Beginning in April 2020, Cronin began a series of webisodes from his home titled "Songs & Stories From Camp Cronin". Consisting of anecdotes and acoustic performances from him and his family, the series posted 24 episodes. Cronin and members of REO gave back over the past 16 months by participating in charity events for St. Jude Children's Hospital, Marilou and Mark Hamill's USC McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative, John Oates's "Oates Song Fest", "Stars To The Rescue," Acoustic-4-A-Cure, and more. Additionally, while Cronin began keeping a journal of the band's 2016 U.K. tour, he never stopped writing and recently submitted what turned out to be his life story, as well as his telling of REO SPEEDWAGON's history. He says, "Putting out an autobiography is risky. Once it's out there's nowhere to hide!"

Photo credit: Randee St. Nicholas

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In a recent interview with Chaotic Riffs magazine, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke about how he has managed to keep the band going for more than four decades despite all the personnel shuffles and changes in the music industry. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think if you're loyal to the heritage of ACCEPT, and that's what we're trying to do… We're not trying to reinvent the wheel; we're trying to write songs that we could have written all these years ago. And that's usually my motto when I site there and I… As a matter of fact, I was sitting here two minutes ago working on a new song… And I always ask myself: does it really sound like ACCEPT that people know? It should be new and exciting for us and all that, but it shouldn't be anything different necessarily. We've got our niche, we've got our market, and that's what people appreciate about us."

Hoffmann went on to say that "it's super important" for ACCEPT to continue to make new music. "I think the fans appreciate that," he said. "And it's a good challenge for ourselves. I vividly remember when we relaunched the band and we found [current ACCEPT singer] Mark Tornillo, we said, 'Hey, if we're gonna do this, let's do it properly and let's do proper albums and not just play the old stuff.' Because we could have done that; we could have said, 'It's not even worth bothering… Why bother? Nobody wants to hear new songs. They all wanna just hear 'Balls To The Wall' and 'Princess Of The Dawn'. Which is true to an extent, but at the same time it's kind of lame that you become your own cover band in a way. So we said, 'Hey, we did it back then. We wrote meaningful songs. Why can't we do it now?'"

Hoffmann is the sole remaining original member of ACCEPT, which he formed in 1976 in the town of Solingen, Germany with singer Udo Dirkschneider and bassist Peter Baltes.

ACCEPT's latest studio album, "Too Mean To Die", was released in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

In a 2022 interview with the
"Sally Steele Rocks! Show", Wolf was asked why there have been so many personnel changes in ACCEPT over the years. "I'm the big bad wolf. I kick people out just when I feel like it," he quipped. "Well, actually, to be halfway serious for a second, it's just the way it goes sometimes. We started off as teenagers in a sort of garage-type band. And people grow up and they get married, they have different interests, and before you know it, one guy leaves the band and a replacement comes, and then the replacement leaves after a while. It's just the way it goes; it's a natural progression. I wish it wasn't that way. People develop different interests and life changes, so people leave. I'm the only guy who's never left. I'm like the last man standing."

Inching close to the one-year anniversary release of their debut album The Chronophagist, Montreal's Fall Of Stasis is sharing with fans a new music video for the record's closing title track, featuring guest vocals from Viky Boyer (Voice actor for The Monster Factory, Ariel).


"This is the final song off the album and it tells the story of a deity who has the power to steal time from mortal beings. The song starts off with a slightly modified version of Wilted Forests’ intro, followed by a heavy riff and an epic, vocally-charged chorus. The last chorus is cut short by an eclectic and odd-timed trashy riff followed by a black metal section. The song ends with an epic riff and a fading soaring guitar solo," adds the band.







Unleashed on February 25, 2022, The Chronophagist was produced by Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy) and garnered much praise from metal media and built a strong local following that lead them to open for Avatar and Light The Torch during July 2022. With a wide arrangement of influences, a high level of precision, and dedication, the band prides itself on creating relentless, fast, aggressive yet melodic, and symphonic opus'. Ranging from black to symphonic metal, plus folk interludes, along with proggy riffs, the band intertwines a brutal yet unpredictable melodic composition that unapologetically grabs the listener’s attention from start to finish.


“We wanted our first album to bring something fresh to the metal scene. Each song was carefully written and fine-tuned to maintain the listener’s attention. We wanted the album to showcase every member’s musical influences without compromising the quality of our music. Overall, each song blends well into the next one, yet they’re different enough to keep the listener involved for the duration of the album. We asked Christian Donaldson to record, mix and master our album since he’s easily one of the most respected and recognized metal producers in the province. Again, we didn’t want to cut corners and we made sure to partner with someone who would do justice to our music. Lyrically, the album showcases fictive storytelling from beginning to end, although the lyrics often symbolize modern social issues along with some of the band members’ personal experiences,” adds the band.


The Chronophagist can be heard on all digital platforms, here.





Tracklisting:


“Wilted Forests”
“Fall Of Stasis”
“Drunken Howl”
“Baal Arise”
“The Cult”
“Twilight Carnival”
“Baron’
“The Last Waltz”
“Swarm Of Casualties”
“The Chronophagist” (Feat. Viky Boyer)


(Photo - Martin Trottier, Darkest Media)

Kerry King says that he was angry over the prospect of SLAYER calling it quits when the subject was first broached. Asked in a new interview with Metal Hammer magazine for his reaction when the conversation to end the band arose, the 58-year-old guitarist said: "Anger… what else? It was premature. The reason I say 'premature' is because my heroes from my childhood are still playing! I can still play, I still want to play, but that livelihood got taken away from me.

"But, anyway, on to the next chapter, I guess," he continued. "We were on top of the world, and there's nothing wrong with going out on top of the world, it's a good way to go out. So, bravo for that. But do I miss playing? Yeah, absolutely."

In the same interview, King also hinted that SLAYER fans will be happy with the musical direction of his yet-to-be-announced new band. "If you know my work, you know what it’s going to sound like."

Back in October 2021, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt, who spent almost nine years touring with SLAYER, told Metal Hammer that he agreed SLAYER retired too soon. "We were still playing at the top of our game, we were totally killing it," he said. "The band had a lot of years left in it, but I guess when it's time, it's time. When you decide to walk away from something, walk away. I can't tell anybody they made the wrong decision. Better to go out on top than go out unable to play your own songs, and this shit isn't easy. Playing 'Angel Of Death' at 70 years old would be fucking hard. But it was time for me to come back, let's put it that way. I was really missing my first family."

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya talked about his possible retirement in a 2016 interview with Loudwire. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move." He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that." Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

Last July, Kerry told Metal Hammer that he "won't be dragging [his] feet much longer" when it comes to going back on the road with his post-SLAYER project.

Two years after he revealed that he had more than two records' worth of music written for his new band, King stated about the new material's direction: "You know me, so you know what it's going to sound like. I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, 'If there's anything I've written in the last few years that sounds like SLAYER, it's this.' And he said, 'That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any SLAYER record.' I actually made that riff up backstage at a SLAYER show. We were walking to the stage and I got my phone out and recorded it so I wouldn't forget it."

While King was reluctant to reveal the rest of the lineup of his new band, he confirmed the involvement of SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph.

King went on to say that he expects his new band to start out by playing "much smaller" venues than SLAYER did at the end of its four-decade run.

"Had it have been up to me then I'd have been out in 2020," he said. "But that thing called the pandemic fucked everything up for everyone. You know, I waited on that, because it had to run its course. I didn't want to be the guinea pig; I didn't want to learn how to tour again. I already did my dues; I don't want to have to prove myself again.

"Have I been dragging my feet? Yeah, because I wanted this [pandemic] shit to get sorted. I won't be dragging my feet much longer."

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry's wife Ayesha King said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances. In August 2020, she once again shot down the possibility of her husband and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya sharing the stage ever again under the SLAYER banner.

After Ayesha shared three photos of Kerry holding their cat in slideshow-type Instagram post, a fan wrote: "No Tom, No SLAYER Kerry. Stop thinking SLAYER without @tomarayaofficial". Ayesha then replied: "don't worry, they'll never be SLAYER again! You can rest easy".

That same month, Bostaph confirmed that he is involved in a brand new project headed up by Kerry. Paul told Australia's Riff Crew that the new band will "sound like SLAYER without it being SLAYER — but not intentionally so. I mean, Kerry's been writing songs in SLAYER his entire career, and he has a style," he explained. "And that style, as a songwriter, you just don't change your style because your band is done… So, all I can say is if you like heavy music and you like SLAYER, you'll like this."

Just a few days earlier, Kerry told Dean Guitars that he had plenty of musical ideas for his upcoming project. "I've been very, very lucky with riffs in 2020," he said. "Maybe because I can't go anywhere — I don't know — but riffs have certainly not been a problem. And looking forward into the future, what that means for me is I'm gonna be able to cherrypick the best stuff. And it's good stuff. I've got more than two records' worth of music, but to be able to go through that and cherrypick the best 11 or 12 [songs]… That first record should be smoking."

When SLAYER first announced that it was embarking on its final tour back in January 2018, Ayesha assured fans that they would "always get music" from her husband.

King has said in previous interviews that his post-SLAYER musical efforts would not be much different from the sound fans have grown accustomed to hearing from him.

"If someone quit, I'm not going to go around with a made-up SLAYER," he told AZCentral.com back in 2010. "But my next band would sound like SLAYER, that's all I know."

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.

METALLICA's music was streamed 1.6 billion times on Spotify in 2022. This marks the fourth year in a row that the band's songs were played more than a billion times on the digital music service in a 12-month period.

The heavy metal legends' social media revealed their latest streaming feat on Saturday (December 31),adding that "You guys have outdone yourselves once again! 137 million hours of METALLICA were streamed on @spotify in 2022, up by more than 20 million hours from last year. Whether you're new to METALLICA, or you've been listening for the past 41 years, we'd like to extend a huge 'THANK YOU' to the entire METALLICA Family."

Back in December 2012, METALLICA made the first nine of its studio albums, as well as various live material, singles, remixes and collaborations, available for the first time on Spotify. The move was significant because Sean Parker, who co-founded Napster, later sat on the board of Spotify. METALLICA waged a battle with Napster more than a decade earlier over the illegal sharing of the band's music, which resulted in both legal action and a battered public image for the band.

At the press conference in New York announcing the Spotify deal on December 6, 2012 Parker and METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich appeared together and seemingly buried the hatchet. Ulrich said, "When [Parker] and I saw each other a few months ago. We could see that we had been put down as adversaries. We realize we had much more in common and sitting down was long overdue . . . We were younger, maybe somewhat more ignorant. We sat down and had a heart to heart."

In a statement at its web site, METALLICA said, "We are extremely proud to be a part of Spotify, who not only has a proven track record, but is by far the best streaming service."

METALLICA is able to make these deals directly since, as of 2012, the band has complete control over the master tapes of all its audio and video recordings. The band has also launched its own label, Blackened Recordings.

METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts were held at San Francisco's Chase Center on December 17 and December 19. The two shows featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.

Formed in 1981 by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 2.5 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.

METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize.

METALLICA's 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", is due on April 14, 2023 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield and Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti

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Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY will release their tenth studio album in June. The first single from the effort will arrive in March.

BUCKCHERRY revealed a timetable for the band's follow-up to 2021's "Hellbound" in a social media post on Wednesday (January 4). The group wrote: "Welcome to 2023!! Hope you're ready, because we've got big plans for this year starting with our March/April run with SKID ROW. Tickets and VIPs are on sale NOW for all shows. Response so far has been GREAT and we are currently working on more shows with SKID ROW for later in the year.

"New music, you say? We got you. The first track and video from album number 10 will be coming your way at the beginning of the tour with the full album set for release in June!

"Much more tour info will be coming in the upcoming months so stay tuned and we will see you at the Rock Show!!"

BUCKCHERRY's new album was once again helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

BUCKCHERRY vocalist Josh Todd told Australia's Silver Tiger Media about the band's upcoming LP: "It's just a new body of work. It's where we're at today. The songs are really well written, and I think people are gonna really, really love it. There is no overall [lyrical] theme… You'll enjoy it."

Regarding BUCKCKERRY's songwriting approach this time around, Todd said: "The formula for us is to have no fillers — having a great record from beginning to end. That's what we want — we want to be able to have these unforgettable songs and melodies. And if they don't sound great, we just don't put 'em on records."

In August, BUCKCHERRY announced that Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) would head to Nashville in late September to finish the writing process for the band's tenth studio album. The band was scheduled to begin recording the effort on November 4.

Frederiksen previously produced "Hellbound" as well as BUCKCHERRY's fourth album, "Black Butterfly", and co-wrote "Sorry", among other songs, with the band.

BUCKCHERRY and SKID ROW will team up for a co-headline "The Gang's All Here" tour in the spring. Performances kick off on March 9 in Bowler, Wisconsin and continue throughout the month, with special guests NO RESOLVE providing support on select shows.

"Hellbound" came out in June 2021 via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded in the fall of 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

Earlier last year, Todd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he and his bandmates have never had the luxury to slack off on their work habits, even during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"When you're in a band, it's like it's your business. So if you just sit around and wait for people to tell you what to do, then you're not running a good business," Todd said. "We've always created opportunities within ourselves. We have to make schedules, we have to stick to them. We have to show up and work hard. We're so used to doing that because people have written this band off many times and we have many peaks and valleys in the BUCKCHERRY career. We have come back from a lot of adversity and had a lot of success. And we only did that by believing in ourselves and working hard because no one else is going to do that except us."

BUCKCHERRY burst on to the scene in 1999 with its now-classic self-titled debut album. Hit singles "Lit Up", "For The Movies", "Dead Again" and "Check Your Head" brought the celebration back to the party scene, recalling the gritty glam impact of MÖTLEY CRÜE but with a Gen X-demanded, modern self-awareness . Later albums continued to develop their reputation for volatile, mercurial themes and infectious hooks; such singles as "Crazy Bitch", "Everything", "Too Drunk" and "All Night Long" became screaming choruses for fans across the world. With their irreverent and bawdy lyrics, delivered with Todd's whisky weathered vocals, paired with filthy guitar riffs and high-energy, throbbing bass lines, BUCKCHERRY has sustained a hard-earned reputation as a not-to-be-missed live presence with regular touring schedules alongside such legends as MÖTLEY CRÜE and PAPA ROACH.

Skid Row + Buckcherry: The Gang's All Here Tour – Tickets on sale NOW!

Welcome to 2023!! Hope you're ready, because we've got big plans for this year starting with our March/April run with SKID ROW. Tickets and VIPs are on sale NOW for all shows. Response so far has been GREAT and we are currently working on more shows with Skid Row for later in the year.

New music, you say? We got you. The first track and video from album number 10 will be coming your way at the beginning of the tour with the full album set for release in June!

Much more tour info will be coming in the upcoming months so stay tuned and we will see you at the Rock Show!!

Get Tickets at buckcherry.com
LIMITED VIP Packages available at: http://bit.ly/VIP_Buckcherry

Posted by Buckcherry on Wednesday, January 4, 2023