As part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked what he misses about the music industry of the late '80s and early '90s. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say what I miss about the music industry is the music industry. There really isn't one anymore. It's more based on social media.

"What do I miss about then in music industry? Well, back then we used to have to go to a record store, spend a couple of hours choosing what music you wanted to buy," he continued. "Nowadays you can just press a button and get every song recorded by man. So it was much more invested. Also, not just anybody was making records in the '80s. You had to get a record contract and you had to prove that you were worthy of making records. There was no such thing as Pro Tools to adjust your performance in the studio; it was a much more organic, realistic way of recording then, 'cause we just didn't have the technology that we have now."

Bach added: "Two other things that I miss is rock videos on television. MTV used to be so much fun, doing 'Dial MTV', everybody voting for their favorite videos of the day and then seeing who won at the end of the day on 'Dial MTV'. That was so much fun. The other thing I miss is radio. Rock radio these days, to me, is just like one station. In the '80s, each city had its own distinctive radio station with personalities and specific DJs. They played more of what they wanted instead of just a national playlist [of songs]."

Earlier this month, Bach told the "I Am All In With Scott Patterson" podcast that he has "a new record label" and that he will be "putting out a new record very soon."

Regarding what has taken him so long to get the new record ready for release, Bach said: "Basically, I kind of had to take this year off a little bit, because I — I'm not supposed to say this stuff — I've been working on music since two SKID ROW singers ago. [Laughs] I've been working on music since before the pandemic, so I have amassed a lot of music. And the thing about putting out music in 2022 is that you have to figure out a way to cut through the clutter, because everybody and their cousin puts out an album or has a YouTube page. A long time ago, there used to be record companies that you had to be good to get signed. Not just anybody could put out records; it was a privilege, and you had to work for it. But with the advent or Pro Tools and technology, you can be a wrestler and then just wake up the next day and go, 'I'm gonna be a rocker.' … And then you just walk in there and waffle out some half-ass take and then fix it up on a laptop. So with there being no gatekeepers, you've got to have a plan. And if noticed, albums that are big now, they have such a long setup time. An artist will put out three or four songs, or three or four videos even before the album comes out. So it's this big plan. And there's also the vinyl backlog. You have to get in line to produce vinyl right now, because vinyl is so hot — everybody collects it — that you have to have six months lead time even to get into the vinyl pressing plants.

"So, that's very boring, but that's what's happening," he added. "We are amassing the plan."

Among the musicians who have assisted Bach during the writing and recording process for his new music are Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, Michael Jackson),John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (Billy Idol),Devin Bronson, Brent Woods, Eli Santana and Jeremy Colson.

Less than two years ago, Sebastian told The Aquarian Weekly that he was working on a new album but he declined to name the record company that will be putting it out. "Yes, I have a new American label and I have been working somewhat on the album during this damned quarantine," he said. "But there is only so much I can do in my house. I have been sending files back and forth [to my bandmates], but it is not as exciting as being together in the same room. Maybe Taylor Swift lives with her whole band. I don't know how that works."

He added: "My new album is going to be heavy. In many ways it is my follow-up to [2007's] 'Angel Down'. I am trying to make the best record I have ever made. There will be a lot of heavy [music] coming your way."

Back in 2018, Bach told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station that he was going to ink a deal with a U.S.-based heavy metal record label that would help him make a "career-defining" new solo album.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

Although Bach had said in some of his interviews a few years ago that his next record would be less musically aggressive and it would be "more uplifting and fun," he told WRIF that he has since had a change of heart.

"Well, before [the new record deal] happened, I was thinking of doing more of an acoustic-based record because I've done a lot of solo records," he said. "I've done 'Angel Down', which I'm very proud of that album,. Then 'Kicking & Screaming', which is a great album. 'Give 'Em Hell'… Not to mention 'ABachalypse Now', which is a three-record set. 'Forever Wild' DVD, 'Bring 'Em Bach Alive!'… I've put out a lot of records. And putting out the last one, when I put so much time and effort into it and it doesn't get the attention that it deserves, for me as an artist, I'm, like, 'Fuck!' So I was, like, you know what? If I'm gonna put out another heavy metal, hard rock album, I need help. I need a company around me that's gonna put the same kind of attention and time and effort into it as I am. So now that looks like it's happening. So now I'm changing the way I'm looking at things."

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist DJ Ashba has released the official lyric video for his latest single, "Cryptonite", featuring British singer and writer Sarah de Warren. Sarah has written for and is featured on dozens of records for A-list DJs, as well as attaining more than two million monthly Spotify listeners on her own artist project and a total 100 million streams across her songs.

"It was a pleasure collaborating with Sarah on our new single 'Cryptonite'," says Ashba. "We had a crazy idea to write a song around falling in love in the metaverse and losing all concept of reality. More now than ever, people are creating their perfect digital life online while neglecting their real lives. So we thought it would be interesting to put that into a song." Sarah adds: "We ended up writing a tragic love story based in the metaverse. When you can be anybody you want, and create a perfect world around you, then you suddenly have everything to lose. At some point you have to wake back up and face reality."

This past summer, Ashba collaborated with his wife, an Italo-Colombian influencer Nathalia Ashba who goes by the name Natyash, on his "Malosa" single, a dance/rock hybrid he calls GDM (Guitar Dance Music).

"Malosa" was Ashba's first single since last year's release of "Bella Ciao", a modern-day EDM-driven makeover of the Italian folk classic. "Bella Ciao" marked Ashba's first release of 2021 and followed a series of tracks that were released in late 2020 through Edgeout Records/UMG/UMe, including "Hypnotic", "Let's Dance" and "A Christmas Storm".

In December 2020, Ashba told "The Mark And HooGie Show" that he isn't concerned about getting any pushback from his rock fans over the musical direction of his new venture: "Honestly, I'm at a point in my career where I could give two fucks," he said. "I could care less. If people don't like it, kiss my ass. Go listen to SIXX:A.M. If what I'm doing right now isn't rock enough, I've got a rock band. They can go listen to that then.

"My fanbase, thank God, has been, throughout my whole career, just very, very accepting," he continued. "They know me — they know I'm always trying to really push myself as an artist outside the box.

"If I had to live within this box, I'd rather honestly not play music. Playing music is a form of art, and if I can't truly be an artist and be true to what it is inside — whatever that is that keeps me going… I have to stay inspired. You can only write so many three-chord rock songs. So, to me, this is something that I'm kind of more doing for myself, and I feel like I kind of have earned that at this point in my career. And I'm just having fun.

"Surprisingly… It was weird. I was totally expecting for all my fanbase just to hate it — not get it," Ashba added. "'Cause I really, really go deep down in EDM — I stayed very, very true to the EDM sound — and I really thought they were gonna hate it, and I was okay with that. 'Cause in my mind, I'm writing this for the EDM, the young kids that go to those festivals. This is full-on festival music. And surprisingly, I got no pushback. My rock fans really, really were freaking out on it, which kind of freaked me out. I was expecting them to really not get it or maybe push it aside. But they've been nothing but supportive. I'm very thankful that they gave it a chance."

ASHBA's "Let's Dance" single featured a guest appearance by James Michael, co-founder and lead singer of SIXX:A.M., which he and DJ formed with Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE).

Ashba told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the musical approach of his new effort: "I would go to a lot of EDM concerts, and their shows are so over the top and, you know, all these young kids just losing their minds, right? And the one thing that I've noticed is … it lacks guitar, you know, and I saw an opportunity, like five years ago, going, 'If I could take what I do and somehow inject it into this world.' A lot of kids are not being exposed to a lot of guitar in that world."

Although Ashba initially started work on the project as a collaboration with Michael — under the band name PYROMANTIC — it has since evolved into an Ashba solo venture, with Michael announcing in 2018 that he was stepping away from the group.

TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown recently spoke to Tulsa Music Stream about his nearly 30-year friendship with Eddie Van Halen. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's mindblowing to think, first off, that he's not here anymore. That's the hardest thing for me and I think for so many of us. The guy was our superhero. He was my friend, but, man, I always caught a moment where I'd go, 'Shit, that's Eddie Van Halen.' I remember me and P.J. [Farley, TRIXTER bassist] being backstage at a [VAN HALEN] gig one time, and it was one of the first times I brought P.J. to really hang. And it was just me and P.J. in the dressing room with Eddie Van Halen. And he was warming up. And I think Ed went to the bathroom, and I just looked at P.J. and I go, 'Are you fucking kidding me?'

"Ed was just the coolest, nicest, sweetest guy — to me and to my family, my friends, everybody. And the greatest compliment I always got from him was he [would tell me], 'Steve, you're part of the family. Me and my brother, we love you, man.' That was always the coolest thing, where he would say, 'Man, you're part of the family.' And he always knew that he could always call me at any time to shoot the shit.

"Look, man, when you're a band guy, sometimes you need to talk to another guy in a band because we speak the same language — whether it's bitching about your singer, bitching about your record company, your producer. Sometimes you need someone to bitch to, and we did that a lot to each other.

"I think a lot of people [say], and you've heard this story: 'Be careful about meeting your heroes because they're probably gonna let you down.' The greatest thing in the world that happened to me was meeting my hero. I wouldn't be here without Eddie Van Halen. That is God's honest truth. He was the single biggest influence, power force behind me wanting to do this and do it at the level that I'm still doing it at now. And so to meet him and him be so sweet… The first time I met him, man, he just came up to me, and it was at the 1991 NAMM show, and he came up, walked up on stage, shook my hand and he goes, 'Hey, I'm Ed.' He didn't say, 'Hey, I'm Eddie Van Halen.' He just said, 'Hey, I'm Ed.' And that's really… Anybody who's ever met him and who'd ever become friends with him, that's what he says and that's what you call him…

"The reason Ed and I bonded was not because of the music. Yeah, I got to meet him at a great time in my life — I was No. 1 on MTV with 'One In A Million' and 'Give It To Me Good'… But it wasn't what we bonded over. I immediately started telling him some funny, dirty jokes, and he just fucking laughed and laughed. And that was always the thing, where we would always just tell each other really funny jokes. And it wasn't, like, 'Hey, Ed. Can you show me how to play 'I'm The One'? Can you show me how you do that?' Never, man. It was always about, 'How's your family? How's Val?' It was right before Wolf was gonna be born. He was gonna be a dad. So it was about family. It wasn't about music, 'cause everybody just would bother him about that… But the core of it all was he was just such a fun, warm-hearted guy — and a regular dude… No rock-star trip whatsoever with him."

Steve previously spoke about his Eddie Van Halen friendship in a 2021 interview with The Rock Shop With Ralph. At the time, he said: "When I bought my house and was moving in and building my studio, I went out to see VAN HALEN and my wife and I were in Ed's dressing room and I had that great picture [taken] with me and him. It was the week after I bought my house and I [was] building the studio. And I told him, I said, 'Yeah, man, I'm building my studio.' And he goes, 'What are you, building something to make demos?' And I go, 'No, man. I'm building a studio, like you.' I said, 'You've got 5150. My studio's gonna be 6160.' And started cracking up. And he was so happy. We [had] many conversations about our studios and making records.

"The most important thing that Ed taught me was always keep writing, keep making music," he continued. "And he would always be, 'I don't fucking give a shit about the old days. I'm making new music.' And that was one of the things. And one of the greatest things Ed — and Alex [Van Halen] — always taught me was… Ed would always say, 'Steve, we're musicians. We make music, motherfucker. That's what we do. No matter what.' He didn't give a shit. He never gave a shit if it sold ten million records or it sold two million. We make music for ourselves first. And if the people like it… And that was one of the biggest lessons I learned from him. And, of course, the biggest inspiration in building my studio was that he built his own studio. And to be able to have a place where you have control and you can make music whenever you want, 24-7. And that's what I do here. And that's one of the greatest inspirations and gifts that my friendship with Ed Van Halen, that he taught me that. And he wanted me to build my own studio and encouraged me. And that's always the joke — that he had 5150 and I have 6160."

Brown also discussed his friendship with Eddie Van Halen in an interview with "Sound Matters" conducted a few days after the iconic guitarist's passing. At the time, he said: "[Eddie] was the best. And just to clarify, I was friends with him. It was much different than a lot these guys that you see who maybe met him once or twice. I see a lot of these guys online. I had almost a 30-year relationship with him. And the coolest thing I can only say is that he always said, 'Steve, you're family. You're family.' He would call my house while he was on tour, whether it was on the 'Balance' tour or the '98 tour or 2004, when he was even really in a bad place. But all I can tell you is this: he loved my wife, he loved my friends. P.J. from TRIXTER, we hung out with him. Some of the other guys in my band got to meet him and spend time with him. He treated everybody like a normal person, because that's all Ed was, and that's all he ever wanted to be.

"Listen, we can talk all about the music, the gear, his innovations, how he inspired the world to play guitar. But what I can say is I know the guy, and I loved the guy, and he loved me, and he loved his friends, and people that were part of the family, like I told you," he continued. "And that's the greatest thing, because he was that guy. That smile was as real as it gets. He wasn't an act. He was never an act. He got the most joy when he was up on stage playing, and that smile was two hundred percent real. And that is the truth.

"All I can say, above and beyond that, is he was sweet. He was gracious. I had these incredible times when he would call me on the road and he would leave messages on my answering machine. He didn't call my house once or twice — he called my house probably ten or fifteen times. Luckily, now, I did miss the call a bunch of times, and I was able to save those answering machine messages, which someday I might play for some people, but they are cherished memories now. But some of the times when I would be sleeping, or just getting in from a gig, and hear my phone ring at two o'clock in the morning, because Ed didn't work on the same schedule, and when Ed wanted to talk to somebody, he'd call you, whether it was five o'clock in the morning. And I'd see the phone, and I'd see the phone number, and it would say 'Ed Van Halen'. And I'd be, like, 'Well, I've gotta talk to Ed now.' And I'd talk to him. My wife and I would sit there or we'd be laying in bed, 'Oh, Ed's calling. Let's talk to him.'

"The proudest moment of his life was when he became a dad," Steve added. "I was there with him before Wolfgang was born — it was right when I met him. And then afterwards, a year and a half later, I'm at his Malibu beachhouse playing volleyball with [his then-wife] Valerie and a couple of other guys. Wolfgang's walking around in his diapers. And those are the times that I cherish the most — just being a regular with Eddie, and not having to see any bullshit from other bandmembers or deal with managers or tour managers, everybody trying to keep you away.

"One of the other cool things was anytime I would go to a show, Ed would be, like, 'You never have to knock on the dressing room door. You come in.' I would walk in the dressing room, and Ed would be half naked, getting changed to go on stage. I'm, like, 'You want me to leave?' And he'd be, like, 'No, man. Sit down. C'mon. You're family.' And Alex [Van Halen], the same way, man. He treated me like a brother.

"The only regrets I have were that I never took more pictures. But back, especially in the early '90s, that wasn't the thing that we did. But I've got enough memories to last me a lifetime."

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

View this post on Instagram

God Bless You Ed ...My idol , my pal 💔🙏🏻!!!
A post shared by STEVE BROWN (@stevebrownrocks) on Oct 6, 2020 at 1:06pm PDT

Canadian orchestral metal ensemble, Opus Arise - featuring members of Svneatr, Thousand Arrows, Ysgaroth - released their sophomore album, The Network, on December 2. The cyberpunk concept record brings together classical strings and metal rhythms to create luscious soundscapes to dissonant chaos. To send listeners on a journey into their "Electric Jungle", they are sharing with fans a new visualizer for the track.


The band explains the storyline behind the track and the album: "The plot of this album is a CyberPunk-inspired world. Research involving chord progressions that manipulate space and time. Our main character does research involving the Progressive Frequency Phenomenon. He has never found proof it existed, but his studies involved finding this evidence, as well as aiming to gain control of it. Many years into his research, he comes across the inner skepticism progression, and this is where his journey begins.


"The 'Electric Jungle' track is about the protagonist learning that character 1 is also from a different space time, and the electric jungle opening progression was the one he used in one of his compositions back in his time. When he played it for the first time after composing it in 1976, a wormhole brought him here as well. He didn’t know what had happened, so he eventually accepted this as his fate and had given up hope of returning. He called it the electric jungle because of the scenery in the place they are in; there is lots of advanced circuitry, electronic billboards, holograms, etc. Now he has faith in the protagonist’s research, it is their only hope of returning to their time space. After finding a network substation and stalking around, they notice several network users with their FOB-type holograms that immediately grant them access. The protagonist’s knowledge of computer science has allowed him to steal the encoded digital lock from the unsuspecting users. All he has to do is turn the electronic data into combinations of frequencies and play it back in front of the substation."







Order the new album at Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Inner Skepticism”
“Electric Jungle”
“Antimatter”
“Digital Soundscape”
“Reminiscence”
“Change”
“Timeshift”
“The Unanswered Question”


“Reminiscence” video::





(Photo – Jade Weekes)

In a new interview with DJ Force X of TotalRock, IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén spoke about why it's important for him and his bandmates to still release full-length albums instead of focusing on singles. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's how I grew up. That's how I listen to music. I understand, you have to adapt to the situation we're in, and I understand a lot of people listen to [music on the streaming services]. You listen to 15 seconds of a song and say, 'That's not for me,' and you move on. But you can't judge an artist in 15 seconds; you've gotta give 'em time.

"Who knows what's gonna happen in the future, but for me, the album is extremely important," he reiterated. "That's how I want to present this band, at least. And what others do, that's fine.

"In a way, we work as hard on one song as the next song as the 13th song, whatever. And you will work on an album, and maybe the 13th song doesn't get as much exposure as you would like, because it's last. But whatever — for me, the album is important.

"I get why some people just wanna release singles. That's not for us, at least," Anders added.

Fridén's latest comments echo those of his bandmate, IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte, who told Guitar Interactive in a 2019 interview: "We're old enough to come from the vinyl era. For us, when we write music, we write an album. We don't write singles. We might do an EP, but that would still be this old format, like, you have an A and a B side. And you're supposed to listen to the album from the first song to the last song. That's how we write it. And then how people wanna listen to it, as long as they listen, I don't give a shit. As long as they listen, at least [they will] have the experience. Then they can decide if it's good or bad — to their liking or not. But this is how we write. So this is how we listen to bands as well. So it's hard to really get into bands if they only release one single or they write one song at a time. Then you listen to the record, and it sounds nothing like it. So that could be hard.

"The world is moving on, and we have to adapt, all of us," he continued. "And we do. I think. We have people that we work with — our record label, our management and everything; they get to choose whatever they wanna present first [as a single]. Because, for us, the record is done; you should listen to it from there to there. And that's how we write too. Really early on in the process, it's, like, as soon as we have a bunch of songs, we're, like, 'Okay, let's put them together in the right order and see what we're missing.' So you get this blueprint, in a way, and you see the holes where you need to fill. And then you write those songs. And it's a nice journey throughout the whole record. That's how we work."

IN FLAMES' fourteenth studio album, "Foregone", will arrive on February 10, 2023 via Nuclear Blast.

Joe Stump's Tower Of Babel are back! The band announced new activities earlier this year and are currently in the studio recording their second album.


Joe Stump's Tower of Babel lifted the dark clouds after the pandemic and return with a new album in progress, the follow-up to Lake Of Fire, which was released in 2017. In 2021 the band announced their new singer Jo Amore (Nightmare, King Of Crown) and celebrated their first concert after three years at the Mennecy Metal Fest 2022 in France.


Jo Stump stated: “It was not easy to find the right vocalist and to be honest, we were very fortunate this time. We were of course looking for the tone that matches our music, which is, as you all know a classic rock mixture with strong Rainbow, Dio, etc. elements. That being said, it's now full speed ahead!”




Drummer Mark Cross adds: “It's been a rough time for every musician being absent from the scene and live playing for so long. Nevertheless, we are back and have been working on this album for quite some time now and still do. I guess the pandemic slowed us all down a bit but now it's full speed ahead. We're looking forward to the future and a release with new music.”


Below you can watch a reel of fan footage from the Mennecy Rock Festival, France from September 16, 2022, featuring Jo Amore (vocals), Joe Stump (guitar), Mistheria (keyboards), N I c Angileri (bass), Mark Cross (drums).





(Photo - Esther W.Pink.Photographer)

In a new interview with Sweden's RockSverige.se, IN FLAMES' Chris Broderick was asked what he learned from the time that he spent as the lead guitarist for MEGADETH. He responded: "I took a lot away from it, because it really showed me that there is a lot more to music than the music, which I both appreciated and hated at the same time. Prior to that, I was just, like, I'm a musician. I'm a guitarist and I play the guitar.' And when I joined MEGADETH and got into that camp, it really showed me how interested people are in your personality and who you are as an individual, and that was shocking to me. How you present yourself and stuff like that. So that's like one of the biggest things I learned from my time in MEGADETH."

Only hours after drummer Shawn Drover announced his exit from MEGADETH on November 25, 2014 to "to pursue [his] own musical interests," Broderick revealed he also quit the legendary metal band, saying that he was leaving the group "due to artistic and musical differences."

Six and a half years ago, Broderick spoke to Ultimate-Guitar.com about the circumstances that led to his decision to exit MEGADETH. He said: "I wouldn't say it's necessarily artistic and musical differences as much as it is the ability to express my musical and artistic choices. Everybody knows that MEGADETH is really Dave [Mustaine] and that's fine."

He continued: "I knew that [Mustaine was captain of the ship] going in. But there comes a time where you're like, 'I've done this and it's great but I'm a musician and artist at heart and I need to express myself that way. So I need to have that outlet for myself and not just do it in support of another person.'"

Regarding how MEGADETH was run, Broderick said: "It wasn't a democratic or an equal band in terms of the decision-making process. And again, I was totally fine with that at the time. It was awesome for my career and it was great playing for all those fans but at some point, when do you decide you're gonna be a musician and really create your own music or are you just going to record what somebody else wants?"

Asked if he would stayed in MEGADETH if he had been given more input and creative freedom, Chris said: "Oh, yeah. Definitely."

Broderick previously told Zombitrol.com about the three MEGADETH studio albums that he played on, 2009's "Endgame", 2011's "TH1RT3EN" and 2013's "Super Collider": "Ultimately, I didn't feel the freedom to be able to express myself musically on those CDs. So, for me, I have fond memories of really, more [than] anything, getting out and meeting the fans and being a part of that live culture, where they were so nice, they were so welcoming to me. You know, when you fill in somebody else's shoes, not everybody's gonna be there to congratulate you. And I felt like, overall, the fans really did, and I appreciate that to no end. But as far as the discography goes, I don't feel like I really had a lot of creative input on that end."

In a 2015 interview with Guitar World, Broderick said that "there definitely was a dress code that [Mustaine] wanted to maintain for a MEGADETH look. For me, with everything in this camp, I saw very early on that Dave is the owner of the company and he is the one that has the right to say how the company is presented and how it should look. The only time we had any issues was when I didn't know a specific thing about how he wanted my appearance to be, and then I would find out as we went along. I saw it very early on as a job requirement and I felt that if the job is worth it to me then I would make those changes."

Regarding whether he had considered leaving the band in the past, Broderick said: "I was constantly weighing the positives against the negatives. I likened it to a lawyer that's working for a firm and finally wants to break out and start his own firm or a chef that wants to open up his own restaurant. You have to deal with the corporate mannerisms from the company you're working for. And once it gets to a point where you feel like you would be happier on your own, that's when you finally to cut the cord. I had been thinking about what to do for a long time, but up until I decided to leave, I always felt the positives outweighed the negatives."

Asked when that balance tipped, Broderick responded: "Not until the last quarter of 2014. I was dwelling on my lack of musical creativity in the band. Dave was getting ready to go in and do another CD and my heart just wasn't in it because I knew I wasn't going to have any artistic say in the definition of the album and the music. He was calling, saying, 'Hey, I want to get you guys down there.' The last thing I wanted to do was go down there and work on a partial CD and then say, 'Hey, this isn't for me.' It was just the right time to leave."

Broderick joined IN FLAMES in early 2019 as the replacement for Niclas Engelin.

Forged from the melting pot of Detroit's underground metal scene, Asylence is a well-oiled metal machine built with passion, intent, and ferocity like no other. They are gearing up to release their first full-length, Endanger Us All, next year and to whet the appetite of listeners they are dropping their single, “In Solidarity We Die”.





The track is guitarist Aaron Lumsden’s favorite track and for good reason. The guys really put their heads together on this one - musically this song just rips with a melodic twist on the chorus.




The band dogs into the meaning behind it: “The song to us sounds like it was written by the last person on Earth, writing the final texts about the tragic failing of humankind that brought us to our doom. It’s one of those songs where the message is pretty straightforward, that we are all eventually going to die so why not be good to one another and recognize each of us is the same lost creature on this planet? We are lucky children of this Earth, we are no better than the animals we share the planet with. We need to take care of our home, or we will lose it all.”


The timeline for writing the album was pretty wide with the pandemic hampering some of it, but ultimately it came together in the way it was meant to be. Each of the songs are personal, the riffs are impressive and the band confidently remarks that it is their best effort yet and anyone who likes what they do is going to love it. Listeners are going to recognize their signature sound for sure but they will be pleasantly surprised with some new angles that they decided to take with this one.


When it comes to live performance, fans can expect to bang their heads,, while taking in an onslaught of fast death metal he emphasizes a certain deathly serious vibe to the stage which translates gravely to the crowd; prepare to rock out while contemplating the meaning of existence.


The single, “In Solidarity We Die”, is recommended for fans of Devildriver, In Flames, and Amon Amarth. Find it on digital networks here, and watch the music video below:





Endanger Us All is due out on February 24. Stay tuned for further details.

Angry Anderson, frontman for Australian rock band Rose Tattoo, introduces the band's new guitarist with the following message:


"Brothers and sisters, over recent weeks we have been deliberating as to whom might come into Rose Tatt’s line up to fill the position left by Bob’s departure... well, the wait is over as we have decided on our replacement and I am very pleased to announce our own Ronnie Simmons as our new guitarist, our own because, for those that don’t already know, Ronnie was born and raised here in Australia being fed a daily diet of all things Aussie Rock by seriously responsible parents, Rose Tattoo played a prominent role in his musical education, he told me many years ago that some of the first songs he learnt to play were Rose Tattoo toons and since then he has held a dream of one day joining our band for some musical adventure so here we are welcoming a new player into our brotherhood who was raised on our music, no finer pedigree needed!


"Ronnie and I first met quite some years ago, he was still a pup, well compared to the rest of us he still is, so he brings his youthful exuberance as well as his well known wizardry which has positioned him in the Los Angeles rock scene. He regularly plays in Richie Ramone and the Faster Pussycat crew to name just two.




"In recent years, since relocating to LA, he has earned himself a reputation as a consummate player, his guitar skills are now well known, his stage presence is charismatic but come see for yourself on that one!..Girls.


"Ronnie will debut with the Tatt’s in February 2023. See ya there or be square!......Ango."

Golden Robot Records recently released a remastered edition of Rose Tattoo's Beats From A Single Drum album, available to stream everywhere and on limited edition vinyl.


Beats From A Single Drum features 10 remastered songs from the 1986 album including "Calling", '"Michael Oreilly'" and '"Suddenly'", with the latter track featured as the wedding song for Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene (Kylie Minogue) on Neighbours. "Suddenly"was also featured in a wedding scene for the hit UK show Gavin and Stacey.


This era was defining for Rose Tattoo with a changed lineup, new members in the fold and Beats From A Single Drum released for the first time to great eagerness from fans and critics alike. The main contributing members of this album were Angry Anderson (vocals), Tim Gaze (guitar), Andy Cichon (keyboard/backing vocals) and Scott Johnston (drums/backing vocals). This pivotal time in Tatts history cemented the band as an established name and a force within the Australian music landscape.


This is not the first Rose Tattoo release Golden Robot has been involved with, previously releasing Tatts: Live in Brunswick (2017), Blood Brothers (2018) and Scarred for Live 1980-1982 (2018). The label was also home to the Tatts when they supported Guns N' Roses on their 2017 Australian stadium tour.


"We are truly excited to remaster what was the most commercially successful album for Rose Tattoo and Angry [Anderson]. Tatts will always be a rock n' roll institution with Angry being one of the most notable Australian front men of all time." says Golden Robot Records CEO & President, Mark Alexander-Erber.


Led by front man Angry Anderson, Beats From A Single Drum takes on a new life form to deliver a clear and familiar sound to Rose Tattoo fans. Beats From A Single Drum will be made available on vinyl in 2023, a must have for any serious record collector.





The vinyl will be available in 4 colours with a limited edition blue vinyl available for pre-order now. A further limited edition red vinyl will be made available in January, with black to follow in February and a limited edition USA exclusive green vinyl to be made available for pre-order in March.


Buy/stream Beats From A Single Drum here.





Tracklisting:


"Calling"
"Frightened Kid"
"Suddenly"
"Runaway"
"Winnie Mandela"
"Get It Right"
"Say Goodbye"
"Falling"
"Clear And Simple"
"Michael Oreilly"

KISS have released the rare video below, stating: "December 21, 1973 - We opened a 2-night stand at the Coventry in New York City. A planned 3rd night did not happen. Here's 'Deuce' from night 2."





Robomagic Live have announced that KISS will play their final UK dates ever in June / July 2023. Tickets are on general sale here.







Tour dates:


June
3 - Plymouth, UK - Home Park Stadium
5 - Birmingham, UK - Resorts World Arena
6 - Newcastle, UK - Utilita Arena Newcastle


July
5 - London, UK - The O2
7 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena
8 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro


The complete KISS tour itinerary can be found here.

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has created "The Collection: Slash", a premium, hardcover coffee-table photo book where he tells the story behind the instruments he has used throughout his storied music career, on countless hit records, and on stages worldwide in front of millions. Due to arrive in January 2023, "The Collection: Slash" custom edition is available for pre-order in the U.S. via Gibson.com.

Few artists have had as profound an impact on modern music as the rock icon Slash. From GUNS N' ROSES to SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and VELVET REVOLVER to his latest collaborations with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, Slash brings his inimitable style and swagger to each project and continues to influence countless guitarists and musicians across generations and genres worldwide. In "The Collection: Slash", the guitarist draws new insights into the stories behind the music through exclusive interviews with Mark Agnesi (director of brand experience at Gibson). At over 300 pages in length, "The Collection: Slash" is lavishly illustrated, a rare and collectible book with numerous photos of the guitarist and his impressive guitar collection, shot by the Gibson team and legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin, whose relationship with Slash extends back to an early GUNS N' ROSES portrait session from 1986. Written and edited by Gibson editor-in-chief Chris Vinnicombe, "The Collection: Slash" is a must-have for both Slash fans, as well as anyone who admires fine and rare guitars.

Only the highly collectible custom edition of "The Collection: Slash" is hand-signed by Slash and limited to 500 copies worldwide. The custom edition measures 297 x 420 mm (11.69 x 16.54") and comes inside a deluxe clamshell protective box with premium case candy inside the package including an Axe Heaven Appetite Les Paul miniature guitar, an exclusive Slash bandana, a guitar pick tin with Dunlop guitar picks, a cover poster, four guitar art prints, and a certificate of authenticity.

"It's been a blast working with Gibson to create a platform for me to talk about my favorite thing, guitars," says Slash. "This book is a great exposé of all the great guitars I've collected over many years."

"Launching Gibson Publishing in partnership with Slash for our debut book 'The Collection: Slash' marks an important milestone for all of us at Gibson Brands," says Cesar Gueikian, brand president of Gibson Brands. "We continue to leverage our iconic past and lean into the future creating more opportunities for music fans around the world to experience original storytelling. With Gibson TV, Gibson Records and now Gibson Publishing, we are organically growing our own media platform that continues to create compelling original content. I am proud of what our media team led by Beth Heidt, Mark Agnesi, Todd Harapiak, Lee Bartram, and Chris Vinnicombe have accomplished together with the extended team. And I am grateful to Slash and his team's partnership for our debut publication."

The stunning "The Collection: Slash" is the first official book release for Gibson Publishing which marks the next major step in the evolution of Gibson Brands' media platform which promotes music experiences to fans worldwide. As with the recently launched music label Gibson Records — which released SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' acclaimed new album titled "4" this year — the first project for Gibson Publishing is this premium book with Gibson global brand ambassador and rock legend Slash. Gibson Publishing is committed to sustainable and environmentally conscious publishing and uses FSC-certified and recycled materials wherever possible.

Ozzy Osbourne recently talked to Billboard about his Grammy nominations for his album "Patient Number 9" working with Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, his plans after the 2023 Grammy Awards, and more. You can now watch the full chat below.

Addressing his recent health issues, Ozzy said: "The last four years have been sheer hell for me. I've been in such a bad… health-wise. Plus I got Parkinson's diagnosis. But I'm… you know, [it] takes a lot to hold me down."

Osbourne discussed his health in more detail in a separate interview with Forbes. Speaking about the fact that he couldn't tour at the beginning of lockdown because he had a neck surgery a year earlier, Ozzy said: "At the time I was thinking, 'Nobody could work, so at least I'm not on my own.' I couldn't work, neither could no one else. So I thought, 'I'll recuperate pre-tour, I'll be okay.' But I'm still fucking suffering now. Not as badly as I was by any means. But I got this thing where they put these leg things on you, bionics, and you do a few exercises and it corrects your walking. Because the problem I was having is balance along with stability. When they cut my neck they cut the nerves. This bionic thing that they do reprograms your brain so you can walk better… It's fucking scientific now. There was a point where I thought, 'I suppose this is it.' And I'd just kind of get up in the morning and doing nothing so I had nothing to get up in the morning [for] and do in the day. But now I'm working out with these new apparatuses, proving to be okay and I'm dying to get back on the stage."

Regarding his plans to return to the live stage, Ozzy said: "On the road is where it all happens for me. Some nights I'm good, some nights I'm not so good. I'm getting slowly better and I don't give a fuck if I have to crawl on the stage I will get back on that stage very soon. The date I'm putting in the books is May of next year. I'm going to get well by May. I've got to set myself a date."

Ozzy has suffered from several medical issues in recent years, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. More recently, the 74-year-old — who now uses a cane in public — had major surgery to "determine the rest of his life," according to his wife and manager Sharon.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM, Ozzy said: "It is so fucking tough because, I mean, I want to be out there. I want to be doing it. This fucking surgery this guy did. Fucking hell, you have no idea. The thing is my head is all right, my creativity is okay, my singing okay, but I just can't fucking walk much now. I can't begin to tell you how fucking frustrating life has become. It is amazing how you go along in life and one stupid thing can screw everything up for a long time. I have never been ill this long in my life."

Ozzy added: "That surgeon told me if I didn't have the surgery, there would be a good chance I would be paralyzed from the neck down."

Ozzy's "No More Tour 2" farewell tour kicked off in 2018 and has been on hold since then, with the next dates set for May 2023.

Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin held the first-ever live edition of their "Hannukah Sessions" project on December 5 at the 250-capacity Largo in Los Angeles, California. This year's event, which was presented by director Judd Apatow, with profits going towards the Anti-Defamation League, featured Jewish rockers presenting both their own songs and choice covers, with Grohl on drums and Kurstin on keys.

The concert was recorded, to be released as this year's "Hannukah Sessions" video series. The first track to be made available, a rendition of BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS' 1968 tune "Spinning Wheel", with Apatow on vocals, can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Spinning Wheel (BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS cover) (with Judd Apatow)
02. Get The Party Started (P!NK cover) (with P!nk)
03. The Things We Do For Love (10CC cover) (with Inara George)
04. At Seventeen (JANIS IAN cover) (with Violet Grohl)
05. E‑Pro (BECK cover) (with Beck)
06. Heads Will Roll (YEAH YEAH YEAHS cover) (with Karen O)
07. The Spirit Of Radio (RUSH cover) (with Jack Black)
08. We Love L.A. (RANDY NEWMAN cover) (with Greg Kurstin)
09. Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody (LOUIS PRIMA cover) (with Kyle Gass)

Grohl and Kurstin originally launched the "Hanukkah Sessions" project during the pandemic. The inaugural "Sessions" featured covers of songs by BEASTIE BOYS ("Sabotage"),Drake ("Hotline Bling"),MOUNTAIN ("Mississippi Queen"),PEACHES ("Fuck The Pain Away"),Bob Dylan ("Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"),ELASTICA ("Connection"),THE KNACK ("Frustrated"),and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND ("Rock & Roll"),while the 2021 follow-up included a black metal take on Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)", along with THE RAMONES' "Blitzkrieg Bop", Barry Manilow's "Copacabana", THE CLASH's "Train In Vain", KISS's "Rock And Roll All Nite", VAN HALEN's "Jump", Amy Winehouse's "Take The Box" and Billy Joel's "Big Shot".

In a new interview with Sonic Perspectives, former HIM frontman Ville Valo spoke about how he came up with the logo of his VV solo project, which is said to be a spinoff of HIM's "heartagram" logo (best described as a combination of a heart and an inverted pentacle). He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't consider myself being clever. But I thought that it was quite a clever thing to do. I was messing about with the heartagram. I was trying to find a way how to use it, because this is definitely not me trying to burn my bridges. And when we [go] on tour, half the set will be the HIM songs and half the set will be the new stuff. It's a like a stepping stone between the past and the future, I call it.

"I think the heartagram is one of the better things I've been involved in creating, and I thought that it was interesting — not only interesting, but important to carry it along," he explained. "Because a lot of people have still it tattooed on their bodies, and it means so much more than just the band. I thought just updating it a bit, everybody will understand that both are as valid — the original heartagram or the V-gram, as I call it, or VV-gram.

"I can still smell the sweat of the guys from HIM, even though it's been a few years [since the band split up]," Ville added. "It was a big deal for me. It was such an important band for myself. We grew up together with the lads, and I thought that we ended it in the most beautiful way a band can — without being at each other's throats. So in that sense, I wanted to continue, sort of, the legacy, or whatever you wanna call it.

"A lot of people who start their solo projects or whatever, they wanna denounce the past and do something absurdly different, and this wasn't definitely the case. But then again, working on the [VV] album, I didn't have to compromise, scheduling-wise and sound-wise and whatever-wise — production-wise. So I was able to put all my musical perversions on the album and this time around have maybe a bit more of this alternative rock vibe in there on an occasion, and more of this early '80s, new wavey, THE CHAMELEONS, the more rock stuff, and then SISTER OF MERCY and SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES — those jangly guitars and all that stuff — which I wasn't able to force my way into the HIM albums so much."

VV's debut 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

IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer in 2020 and opened up about it in a single interview last year but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps.

The now-70-year-old musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

According to the web site of University Of Miami Health System, which spoke to Nicko about his cancer battle around the release of MAIDEN's latest album, "Senjutsu", the drummer decided to get himself checked out after noticed a change in his voice that could not be explained by a performance or touring.

"When I play drums with the band, I actually sort of scream and yell while I play, like a Judo guy slapping the mat," McBrain said. "[But] when you are lying down in a quiet room and you speak and hear your voice in your head and have a cold, you sound different. This happened to me. I thought this is very reminiscent — this different sounding voice of mine — to when I finish a tour or after a show. I didn't have a cold or any symptoms of illness at all. I started to feel that I was clearing my throat more when I was in conversations. So, I just took it on myself to call my doctor."

David E. Rosow, M.D., FACS, director of the Division of Laryngology and Voice at the University of Miami Health System, who performed McBrain's endoscopy, said laryngeal cancer is extremely curable with excellent quality of life if it is caught early.

"Anyone who is experiencing a voice change that lasts longer than three weeks should see an otolaryngologist who can evaluate a person's vocal folds," Dr. Rosow said. "Many cases present with a voice change like Nicko's and often when the tumor is as small as one to two millimeters, which makes the tumor easier to completely remove. The prognosis with early (stage 1) tumors is excellent, with published cure rates of 95% and up."

McBrain, who had the cancer in a part of his vocal cords, said: "I thoroughly recommend that anyone who may feel there is something different with their voice to go and get it checked out. And don't put it off. It was very good for me that I caught it in stage 1."

Nicko isn't the first member of MAIDEN to beat cancer. Back in late 2014, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with throat cancer. The singer, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

In a 2015 interview with Overdrive, McBrain admitted that he thought MAIDEN was over when it was discovered that Dickinson had a cancerous tumor. "Well, I'd be a liar if I didn't think for a minute that IRON MAIDEN [was] finished," he said. "[But] I thought more about the possibility of losing my friend than anything else, to be honest. Then later, I was thinking, 'God forbid if the worst ever happened, the legacy would be the last 16 albums.'"