The Dead Daisies have released a second recap video for their current UK winter tour. Says the band: "This year has ROCKED... Make sure you don't miss The Daisies' last shows for this year in Edinburgh and Bristol! Be there or be square!"





The Dead Daisies recently released their new single, "Born To Fly". The band introduced the single with the following message:




"Leading into our UK Winter Tour in December we’re taking flight with ‘Born To Fly’!


The inspiration for this track was David (Lowy)’s love of flying. From playing with a little balsa wood glider at the age of five to flying in a BAE Hawk, he was motivated to get his pilot’s licence and to one day own a jet fighter. He spent his holidays learning to fly and after seeing the Sydney Aerobatic Club, he set his sights on becoming an Australian Aerobatic Champion and achieved that goal in 1998.


David would later acquire and learn to fly Spitfires and Vietnam War-era A37B Dragonfly light attack jets, which would lead to a host of other Warbird aircraft acquisitions. In 1999 he established the Temora Aviation Museum in New South Wales, Australia. David’s passion for flying has stayed with him ever since."





Added Lowy: “Doug & I got together in New York earlier in the year and worked on a riff that I had written previously. Doug had a chorus that just fitted, we messed around with the melody and came up with the name ‘Born To Fly’. This is a straight-up rock song. For me it’s literal, I was born to fly. However we’re all born to fly in our own way.”


Watch the "Born To Fly" video below:

The Rolling Stones recently announced the release of GRRR Live!, the definitive live hits album from the band’s career. Released on February 10 via Mercury Studios/Universal Music, the album will be available in various formats; 3LP black, 3LP coloured white (Indies exclusive) 3LP red (d2c exclusive), 2CD, DVD + 2CD, BluRay+ 2CD. The Blu-ray and digital versions will include Dolby Atmos.


Watch "Happy" from the upcoming release, below:







The best live band in the world deserve the ultimate live greatest hits album and GRRR Live! is it, The Stones at their best! The album is available to pre-order here and features some of the greatest songs of all time including "It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)", "Honky Tonk Women", "Start Me Up", "Gimme Shelter", "Sympathy For The Devil" and "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction".





The Rolling Stones celebrated their golden anniversary in 2012 & 2013 by embarking on the 50 & Counting Tour, a 30-show itinerary for North America and Europe. On December 15, 2012, the band took the stage at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center for the final of four shows in the New York area. Featuring guest appearances by The Black Keys ("Who Do You Love?"), Gary Clark Jr & John Mayer ("Going Down"), Lady Gaga ("Gimme Shelter"), Mick Taylor ("Midnight Rambler") and hometown hero Bruce Springsteen ("Tumbling Dice"), the concert proved to be one of the most memorable shows in the band’s history.


Since its original airing on pay-per-view in 2012, this show has not been available to fans until now. The concert has been re-edited and the audio has been remixed. Three songs from the December 13 show (also in Newark) will be available as bonus features on the DVD and Blu-ray: "Respectable" (with John Mayer), "Around And Around", and "Gimme Shelter".





GRR Live! tracklisting:


CD1:


"Get Off Of My Cloud"
"The Last Time"
"It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)"
"Paint It Black"
"Gimme Shelter" (with Lady Gaga)
"Wild Horses"
"Going Down" (with John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr)
"Dead Flowers"
"Who Do You Love?" (with The Black Keys)
"Doom And Gloom"
"One More Shot"
"Miss You"
"Honky Tonk Women"
Band Introductions


CD2:


"Before They Make Me Run"
"Happy"
"Midnight Rambler" (with Mick Taylor)
"Start Me Up"
"Tumbling Dice" (with Bruce Springsteen)
"Brown Sugar"
"Sympathy For the Devil"
"You Can’t Always Get What You Want"
"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction"

Shatter Messiah guitarist / founder Curran Murphy (ex-Nevermore, ex-Annihilator) has checked in with the following sad news.


"Today I found out that Patrick Gibson died. A few months ago he was diagnosed with terminal late stage cancer in his liver and pancreas. He didn't tell anyone his diagnosis. He was given three months to live. I toured the country with Pat for years in Shatter Messiah. Recorded two albums with him, and he threw down some amazingly soulful guitar solos on Hail The New Cross and Orphans Of Chaos. 


The last solo, on the last song, on the last album Shatter Messiah released has one of Pat's most impressive solos. I was trying to get this big, bluesy, heart-wrenching vibe at the end of the song named 'Free'. We had everyone in the band at the studio that day, everyone coming in and out of the control room while I was trying to get this solo idea to happen. Everything I played felt forced and fell flat in my ears. I was not happy. I turned around and Pat is sitting on the back couch plucking away on his famous Gold Top Les Paul that he bought when he was 16 years old. Hell, he might have even had a bottle of Makers Mark sitting next to him. I looked at him and told him what I needed to happen on the song, in that solo section, and asked him to give it a go. I figured we would be working on something for a few hours, because I sure as hell wasn't getting anything on tape. 




Pat plugs in, tunes up, I roll / record, and BAM! Just like that; in one take Pat threw down exactly what was needed for the song 'Free'. His solo was perfect, it was Feel, it was Heart, it was Proper. It is the kind of solo every guitar player wants to do every time they track in the studio or play live. Pat just jammed it off in one pass, We did another pass as a safety but I knew that the first one was THE one.





That song is about ending up free at the end of everything. Free from addiction, free from suffering, free from pain, and either finding your freedom in life, or death. We all get free in the end. I hope the man that played guitar with me in Shatter Messiah has that freedom now. I certainly know his good energy has already folded back into The Grand Electron. I think he went out like a fucking viking champion, he went out on his terms, which is a hell of a lot better than how most of us will get to go.


Even though the last few years were rough between Pat and I, I knew deep down inside there was love, not hate in Pat's heart, and love, not hate in mine for Pat (maybe a little frustration with Pat). I will always have this brotherhood with Pat, the music, the tours, the laughter, the fights, the trips, the blown up vans, the small shows, the big shows, the drinks, and the stories. In the end that's the best kind of legacy to have with someone, because then that person is never really gone. They are always in your mind, your heart, your soul, and even on your shoulder.


Love you, Pat."


"Free" - Shatter Messiah


Before the dream can begin
The ritual must be performed
Shaking hands and beads of sweat
Lay out the tools of my trade


Hold my breath tie me down
Push the needle though my soul
Feel the drift watch the pull
The current flows against my world


Now the deed is done, I can fly away
Abandon the discontent, reality's pain


In the dark I begin to see
In the black a moment of clarity
Pull myself out stand myself up
I can hear the tears life is weeping for me


I am now set free after years of sorrow
At the end of the dark I can die in peace


Walking to my tomb, walking to my grave
Feeling the sun beat on my face
Watching the years fade
Falling off my bones
As I turn into dust


As I turn into dust
I find my final days
As I turn to dust
I am free
I am free


 


Orphans Of Chaos by Shatter Messiah


 

In a new interview with Metallerium, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked if the music he is writing for the band's next album will be a throwback to some of the early FF LPs like "Demanufacture" (1995) or if it will feature a new sound. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say that so far the songs that I've written for that probably have more influence of 'Mechanize' [2010] and 'Genexus' [2015] and 'Aggression Continuum' [2021]; more of an influence of those three albums so far.

"Going back to 'Demanufacture' — some records that you create, some art that you create sometimes is not easy to replicate, although some fans would probably like to hear that, and some fans probably not," he explained. "But whatever comes out comes out. I don't necessarily say, 'Hey, I wanna write it in this style,' or whatever. I just do what comes from the heart and what comes from my head and just go with that; I go with my gut feeling. But I definitely like to push things as best as they can be."

Last month, Cazares addressed the fact that FEAR FACTORY's upcoming album will be the band's first to feature the group's new vocalist, the identity of whom has not yet been revealed. He told Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf: "You wanna take your time [working with the new singer]. You wanna make sure you find someone that best fits the job. It's not anything new for me; I've started many other bands with other singers, and I've had to replace singers before. But not in a band like FEAR FACTORY. So, yeah, it's definitely very challenging, and I'm definitely up for the challenge. I understand there's probably gonna be some sort of backlash, but there's a backlash with everything. So, yeah, I'm up for the challenge. I'm not planning on changing anything. I'm gonna pretty much keep what FEAR FACTORY is known for and try to honor the legacy of who we are."

Asked if musical chemistry, stage presence and personality were all factors in his decision when selecting the new vocalist of FEAR FACTORY, Dino said: "All of the above, especially when you're working with people that you don't know. Especially someone like the singer, who I don't know that well. When I hired him, I didn't know him that well. Of course we've spent some time together and we got to know each other. You wanna make sure you're not making a bad decision, 'cause this is gonna be something that's gonna last a while. Plus, relationships are relationships. You can't always control how things are gonna turn out. You try your best. And you put your right foot forward and you just keep moving."

Cazares also confirmed that FEAR FACTORY is currently "label-less" after working with Nuclear Blast for the band's last two albums. "We don't have any record company. FEAR FACTORY doesn't have any new record company right now," he said. "We haven't signed any new deals. And we are in the process also of negotiating and evaluating different offers that we have. That's another thing too. I didn't realize that this year that our record contract had expired with Nuclear Blast. But they still have the obligation to promote this record, 'Recoded' [the recently released collection of remixes of the songs from 'Aggression Continuum']. But now, moving forward, we're exploring our options and it's looking really good. So hopefully we'll get some sort of deal done and be able to get this music out to you as soon as possible."

In September, Cazares told "The Jasta Show" that FEAR FACTORY fans will have to wait a few more months to find out the identity of his band's new singer.

"FEAR FACTORY singer and music will be coming just before the [group's North American] tour with STATIC-X," he said. "End of February is the first show, so just before that we'll be releasing the single and the singer. And then boom — right on the road."

According to Dino, he has been working with the new FEAR FACTORY vocalist for a year. "It's just a lot of developing," he said. "You know, FEAR FACTORY is precious to a lot of people, and so I've gotta make sure that it's right.

"I wanted to release some tracks a while ago with the singer, but then I had nothing behind it — no tour or anything like that — so the hype was gonna die down quick," he explained. "So I wanna do it around a tour; that way you've got something to work. And I just didn't wanna release his name too quick, because no one's gonna care by the time I release a track a year later. So I want it all to be done together."

This past February, former NIGHTRAGE singer Antony Hämäläinen, who unsuccessfully auditioned for the vocalist slot in FEAR FACTORY, claimed in an interview that the new FF frontman is "a person from Italy."

In September 2020, original FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from the band, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

"Aggression Continuum" was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller.

Rex Brown has confirmed that a positive COVID-19 test forced him to miss PANTERA's performance at Knotfest Chile in Santiago on Sunday (December 11). Filling in for him were CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR, and Bobby Landgraf, who previously played with Anselmo in DOWN.

Earlier today, Brown released the following statement via PANTERA's social media: "I caught a very mild strain of Covid, but because of our own protocols, I simply do not wanna risk getting my brothers or the crew sick!! I'm feeling better & am on my way to a speedy recovery. Merry Fckn Christmas & see you all next year!"

On Sunday, Chilean radio station Futuro reported that Brown flew from Bogotá, Colombia, where PANTERA performed at Knotfest Colombia on Friday (December 9),back home to the United States to quarantine, thereby missing the remainder of the PANTERA shows in South America.

Joining surviving members Brown and Anselmo in PANTERA's reformed lineup are guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

PANTERA is next scheduled to play a headlining concert in Santiago tonight (Monday, December 12),followed by two shows in São Paulo, Brazil — on Thursday, December with JUDAS PRIEST and on Sunday, December 18 at Knotfest Brasil.

The new PANTERA lineup made its live debut on December 2 at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest and also performed on December 6 at Monterrey Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico.

It was first reported in July that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

The band will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

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

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

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

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

Thanks to all of our fans & everyone at Knotfest Chile for an amazing show.
Thanks to Derek Engenmann & Bobby Landgraf...

Posted by Pantera on Monday, December 12, 2022

In a new interview with Rodrigo Altaf of Sonic Perspectives, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen spoke about what it was like to hit the road with MÖTLEY CRÜE as part of this past summer's "The Stadium Tour", nearly seven years after the Vince Neil-fronted outfit played what at the time was being billed as the group's last-ever show.

"It's great touring with those guys," Rick said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). We thought they were done. Then we asked them to come out with us, and it didn't take much persuasion to get them to get back out on the road. Now it's fantastic, because now we're seeing the friendship between Nikki [Sixx, bass] and Tommy [Lee, drums] is back where it was. For many years they just really didn't like each other, and I think for them to see things in hindsight and realize all the good that they've done, they realize that their legacy was intact. So it's great to be touring with those guys."

According to Billboard, "The Stadium Tour", which took place between June and September, sold 1.3 million tickets and earned $173.5 million, making it the biggest tour of either band's career. The biggest market on the tour, which featured support from POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, was Boston, where the four acts performed two concerts at Fenway Park on August 5-6 and sold 64,000 tickets for total earnings of $9.3 million. Four individual shows broke the $6 million threshold: Charlotte, North Carolina; Denver, Colorado; Glendale, Arizona; and Inglewood, California. Average nightly earnings hit $4.96 million.

"The Stadium Tour" averaged 37,520 tickets each night, drawing more than three times the audience that each band previously reached on their own.

MÖTLEY CRÜE announced "The Stadium Tour" in 2019, just months after the band supposedly noticed a massive surge in interest following the huge success of the CRÜE's Netflix biopic "The Dirt".

Sixx told Entertainment Tonight that returning to the road with his bandmates has been "unbelievable. I'm so grateful to be doing this, and it started, like, three years ago when the movie came out — two and a half years ago," he said. "We kind of, we broke up the band. We just decided to quit touring. We've been doing it for, god, 35 years at that point."

According to Sixx, he was initially opposed to the idea of touring again with MÖTLEY CRÜE, especially since CRÜE fans who shelled out for the band's 2014/2015 "farewell" tour were led to believe that the group would never return after playing its final show on December 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band touted the signing of a pre-tour "cessation of touring" agreement as cementing the fact it truly was the end of CRÜE's life on the road.

"Tommy does other stuff, and I do other stuff, and I remember getting the phone call from management, and I was, like, 'No,'" Sixx said. "And they go, 'You haven't even heard what I have to say.' And we were friends, and we were fine and everything's good. We're just like, 'No, it's a lot of work.' When you see the show out there, you're gonna go, 'Wow.' I mean, it's years of work putting it together, and then they were like, 'No, not eight arenas, eight stadiums,' and I was like, 'Let me call Tommy.'"

He continued: "I was like, 'Hey, dude, they're talking about us touring,' and he's like, 'No.' Because we wanted to be — stand by what we said, and then it was 16 and 36, which we just entered our 36th stadium, and there's, what, another 120 next year and the year after that, so, we're grateful we said yes."

CRÜE's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

Three years ago, Sixx said that "The Dirt", about MÖTLEY CRÜE's formative years, sparked a renewed interest from younger fans who wanted to see them live, contributing to the band's decision to renege on its infamous "cessation of touring" contract.

Former MARILYN MANSON and ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 recently revealed he will step in for guitarist Mick Mars on the upcoming MÖTLEY CRÜE tour after Mars, who is 71, decide to retire from the road due to his battle with the debilitating disease ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases.

Produced by Live Nation, MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD's co-headline "The World Tour" will kick off on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at Foro Sol in Mexico City. Both bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across the globe with stops throughout Latin America before heading to Europe in May 2023 — which includes a stop at the iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, July 1, 2023 — then wrapping up in Glasgow, U.K. at Hampden Park on July 6, 2023.

MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD will return to the United States in August 2023, with Alice Cooper as a special guest for the series of dates. The U.S. dates will commence on August 5 with a show at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, and will make stops in Columbus, Ohio; Fargo, North Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska; and Tulsa, Oklahoma before concluding in El Paso, Texas, on August 18.

Fan-filmed video of former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's December 7 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

Tate's "Big Rock Show Hits" tour kicked off on December 1. Tate and his international band — featuring guitarists Kieran Robertson from Scotland, James Brown from Ireland and Alex Hart from Boston along with bass player Jack Ross from Scotland, keyboardist Bruno Sa from Brazil and drummer Danny Laverde from Cincinnati — are hitting 28 cities across the United States, including Cleveland, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver and Nashville, on an initial tour leg that will culminate on Geoff's birthday (January 14, 2023).

Just five days after their last U.S. show in January, the band will embark on the "Empire" 30th-anniversary trek that begins in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on January 19, then heads off to Europe for two weeks, quickly followed by three shows in Australia. After "the land down under," they'll return to Europe for a variety of shows that will last through mid-March. They'll return in early June for another extensive European tour.

In a recent interview with Conversaciones Necias, Tate was asked if he has given any thought to his eventual retirement. He responded: "I think I'll keep traveling and singing songs until I can't do it anymore. I really enjoy it. It's a wonderful lifestyle, and I'm very fortunate and very blessed to still be in good health and able to do it.

"People say to me all the time, 'When are you gonna get a real job?'" he lauched. "This is my job."

Three years ago, Tate appeared to be more open to the idea of someday retiring from recording and performing live. At the time, he told Brickhouse TV: "If and when I can retire at some point, what I'd like to do with my time [is] just spend it in the vineyard. There's a point where you've got to kind of hang up your rock n' roll shoes and only come out on occasion. I've got 19 albums, and I really want to do at least 20, so I think I have one more album in me, maybe two."

But in early 2021, Geoff seemingly had a change of heart, telling Aftershocks TV: "I can't imagine stopping — I really can't. I love traveling and I love performing, so I've got the perfect gig. [Laughs] I can't think of anything else I'd rather do than play music. So I guess as long as I'm still healthy and can still sing [the songs], I'll continue to do it."

Last month, Geoff said that he had still not completely recovered after recently undergoing an unspecified heart procedure.

The 63-year-old musician discussed his health in an interview with Tulsa Music Stream. Asked if he was feeling back to a hundred percent nearly six months after going under the knife, Geoff said: "Yeah, I think I'm — I don't know if I'd say 'a hundred percent', but I think after the New Year I'll be approaching that number. It was a really difficult few months there. [I'd] never been [seriously] ill in my life — I'd never actually been in a hospital ever — so this was something that was quite a bit different to get used to."

This past August, Tate said that "it took about a month" before he "could make a sound" and eventually regain his singing voice.

"I'd never been in a hospital before in my life, or I'd never had anything wrong with me, and this was the first experience for me," he explained to in Ritchie Birnie. "And I was just amazed at how much it took out of me. I've always been a pretty physical, pretty strong person, but, man, when I came out of the hospital, I was weak. I could barely walk."

On July 3, Tate took to his Facebook page to share a photo of him with Dr. Sami Kueri from the department of cardiovascular surgery at the Universitäts-Herzzentrum Freiburg-Bad Krozingen (University Heart Center Freiburg) in Bad Krozingen, Germany, and he included the following message: "All my gratitude to the talented Dr. Sami Kueri for giving me a healthy heart!! Feeling so much better each day!"

In June, Tate said that he would take a few months off the road as he recovered from a medical procedure.

On June 13, Geoff, who fronted QUEENSRŸCHE for 30 years — from the band's inception through 2012 — took to his social media to write: "I am having a medical procedure and my health professionals want me to recover over the Summer. I will be back and rocking South America in January. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road."

Tate's recent tour celebrated the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Fellow original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar),Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff will embark on a tour in 2023 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime".

Geoff Tate!
Wednesday, December 7th!
#thewhiskyagogo #geofftate #yesssss #whiskydecember7th

Posted by Whisky A Go-Go on Wednesday, September 28, 2022

MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren spoke to That Metal Interview about the songwriting process for the band's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", which arrived on September 2 via UMe. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There was a lot of freedom. [Dave Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] invited Kiko [Loureiro, MEGADETH guitarist] and myself from the get-go to contribute our own ideas and our interpretations, and that's what we did.

"The way we work and the way Dave tends to work is that he has this massive vault of riffs, guitar riffs that go all the way back to the early years, to the '80s. And that's all sitting in a folder and organized. And so we started by him picking out a bunch of riffs and working with those. And as the process went on, those started turning into songs and we would maybe add some riffs or change some riffs or maybe go fishing for some more or write new ones — whatever felt right at the time. So I also contributed some music myself, and so did Kiko; Kiko co-wrote quite a few of the songs on the album. So it was a very collaborative process. As far as the drums went, same thing. Of course there were certain parts where Dave preferred one idea over the idea, and he would be, like, 'Play it more like this,' or, 'I prefer that beat over this beat.' But for the most part I pretty much got to do what I wanted to do and how I felt it. Because I think, at this point, having been in the band for over six years, I've got a pretty good feel of what MEGADETH drums are supposed to sound like, and it seems like Dave feels the same way."

Dirk went on to say that he didn't want to deviate too far from the drumming style that characterized MEGADETH's classic albums. "It's an important thing, because I'm also a MEGADETH fan," he explained. "I was for many years when I was younger. So I know what it's like to be a fan and going and watching your band or hearing a new album by your band that you like and you expect it to be within certain parameters. So, having grown up listening to [previous MEGADETH drummers] Gar Samuelson and Chuck Behler and Nick Menza, of course, I wanted to have kind of that vibe. So that's what I aimed for. In the end, it's gonna sound like me as well, because I can't change that. And I also put some of my own flavors in there, of course. But I did wanna be very mindful of the legacy of MEGADETH history and respect that and carry on that tradition."

"The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album. Of "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!"'s 48,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprised 45,000, SEA units comprised 3,000 and TEA units comprised a negligible sum.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

Two months ago, Heavy Music, Loureiro spoke about his increased number of songwriting credits on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" compared to the first MEGADETH album he appeared on, 2016's "Dystopia". He said: "In the beginning, in the very beginning [of the songwriting process for 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!'], even before we got together in Nashville in 2019, I was selecting riffs. I'm always somehow creating stuff. And then sometimes it's more MEGADETH; sometimes it's not very MEGADETH. So when I record ideas — it can be a simple idea — I try to label them, that's, like, 'MD', that's more MEGADETH-like.

"When I met [MEGADETH leader] Dave [Mustaine to begin working on 'Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!']… Before going to Nashville, I was bringing some ideas and recording this with the producer in a way to present the riffs and guitar ideas… The way Dave works with his ideas, he kind of organizes them, labels the riffs, the names; he's pretty organized," Kiko continued. "So then I started working the same way, putting my ideas with the names and the tempos. That's the way Dave organizes his ideas; he has his way. So I put my ideas into his way of organization with the producer. So I think that's the first step. So I was bringing some ideas that I had. I re-recorded them. And then I was adding more ideas. So all those guitar riffs from 'Night Stalkers' or 'We'll Be Back' and 'Célebutante' and 'Killing Time', they came from those ideas, from those ideas that I brought before getting together. And then when we got together, we started listening to the ideas and kind of assembling them and structuring them. Dave had, of course, a lot of ideas. And then [drummer] Dirk [Verbeuren contributed his ideas] as well.

"So it was a good environment," Loureiro added. "We bring in our ideas but we put our ideas in the way Dave likes to organize them, which is very methodic, which is very good. So it was a good thing for me also. Because he thinks songs in chunks, in parts. If I'm gonna write a song myself, I kind of play a part; then I try to get inspired with another one. And then this part inspires me to the third one. And I try to keep it going and I try to get the same momentum… I try to feel the music, feel the song and I try to finish the song. Dave doesn't work like this. He creates a good part, he stops and records that good part. He doesn't keep trying to, 'Oh, what's the next part of this one?' and get inspired and be jamming forever. He just keeps that one, and then he labels that… He's very organized and methodic. Even songs like 'Célebutante', I created a song like this one part after the other, and then I cut it in chunks, so it's easier to understand as well. So also because Dave sometimes, he sings on top, sometimes he's, like, 'Oh, let's put a solo on top of this.' Then we start messing around with those ideas. It can be, like, 'Oh, this can be an intro but can [also] be a pre-chorus.' And then you start labeling the way you feel the parts. It's pretty interesting. It's a bit different than I did in the past."

Kiko previously talked about the MEGADETH songwriting process in a September 2022 interview with Andrew DiCecco of Vinyl Writer Music. At the time, he said: "I think doing 'Dystopia', I was very new in the band — I was like five days new in the band. I met Dave, and then, like a week later, I was there at the studio learning the parts and open for suggestions. So it was already a thing for me to have some credits, some collaborations, with Dave on 'Dystopia'. And now, of course, after so many years of understanding MEGADETH better, not only Dave and getting the confidence from Dave but also understanding the fans, the band, the catalog, and playing the songs… As a metal fan, I know MEGADETH, but, of course, after four or five years of playing so many different countries and seeing fans' faces and their reaction, playing the songs from the '80s and the '90s, you understand the band better. So when you bring ideas, you know, 'Okay, this will fit. This is MEGADETH. I know what I'm bringing is still something completely related to MEGADETH.' I think Dave just felt like, 'I'm in a safe place with those guys.' So, I was always bringing ideas and giving suggestions — not only in the ideas that I brought but also his songs and his guitar stuff; I would say something. No fear, you know? I think creating a creative environment is like feeling that you're in a safe place because you might give an idea that's not good, that sucks, but it has to be okay to receive a 'No, this doesn't fit.' It has to be okay, and then try again and propose something else. And then vice versa — the person who is receiving that idea has to be open to be, like, 'Okay…' Maybe the person doesn't like the idea that much but can say, 'Okay, let's try.' So, it's both ways, right? We have to be open to receiving a no, and the other person has to be open to trying the idea, even if, at first sight, the idea is not that great.

"I think I understand Dave," he continued. "Sometimes — it's hard to explain — he has a very artistic vision of things. Bringing elements that you have no idea where he is coming from; [it] can be colors, can be an old movie, can be the soundtrack of something that I don't know, an old TV show — things like that. And then, when you listen to the theme of the old TV show, it has no correlation to what the riff is presenting. But there's something there that reminds him. So you have to give time to understand what the person is thinking. Sometimes it's just a feeling of, 'I want something like that intro of that old TV show from the '60s.' Then it's, like, 'Let's hear that. Let's go there.' Then, I think, because I have my past music experience with other composers or me writing my songs, I know that. So, I kind of understand where he is coming from, so I think Dave feels safe saying those crazy ideas out loud. Then it's a creative process, and everybody is free to bring their own ideas. Then I think Dirk felt, 'You know what? I can bring some ideas, too, because that's a cool environment.' So, during the process, [Dirk] just brought some riffs — because he plays guitar — and then Dave helped him get what he wants because he has certain guitar techniques. So, then we play, and it's, like, 'Oh, we can refine your idea.' The same goes when we suggest a drumbeat, and then Dirk goes and plays something like one hundred times better, but coming from what we are suggesting. So, that's a mutual collaboration."

"Seasons" is the latest single from New Zealand modern metal outfit Enoch. The band's fresh sound, with vibrant and rich intricacies brought to life by producer Machine (Lamb Of God, Impending Doom), is heavy yet loaded with a dissonant atmosphere.


The music video for "Seasons", filmed by Whisko Creative, can be seen below.










(Artwork by Dan Pullar)


 

JOURNEY's Jonathan Cain, who began a Christian music career with 2016's "What God Wants To Hear", the following year's "Unsung Noel" and 2019's "More Like Jesus", was asked in a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind if it's difficult to keep his religious fans happy considering that he is mostly known for his secular songwriting efforts. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, sometimes. The Christian music community, sometimes it seems a little hypocritical, if you will, and they can judge someone like me and say, 'Well, how can you possibly be anointed? You play secular music with JOURNEY.' Well, why don't you listen? Give it a shot. There'll be people who'll come on and trash me online — I get 'em all the time — and I just have to go, 'You know, I do this with God, and we do this together, and if those people don't like it, they don't like it.' It's not for everyone, certainly. I don't try to evangelize. I just wanna minister, if I can. If something hits 'em, people that hear some of this stuff go, 'Wow, this is fresh. It doesn't sound like anybody else.' I'm, like, good. I don't wanna sound like anybody else. But I have been criticized, [like], 'How dare you even try?'," he added. "And I just kind of dismiss it."

Earlier this year, Cain released his acclaimed solo studio album "Arise". The iconic artist's sixth faith-inspired full-length project since 2016, the LP features the American Songwriter- and The 700 Club-featured single "Oh Lord Lead Us" that became Cain's biggest solo hit to date.

Last month, Cain released "Christmas Is Love" from Identity Records with The Fuel Music distribution. Produced and written by Cain with all but one track recorded, mixed and mastered at Addiction Sound Studios by David Kalmusky (Justin Bieber, THE FRAY, Keith Urban),the EP is a five-song holiday offering highlighting the remarkable story of the birth of Jesus in the opening track, "Hope Was Born", and marveling at the miracle in "Who Is This Child" while underscoring the core message in the title track.

Along with his solo music, Cain wrote and recorded new music with his band JOURNEY, releasing "Freedom", the band's first album of all new songs in over a decade, in July. Cain has written or co-written such massive radio hits as "Faithfully", "Who's Crying Now", "Open Arms" and the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes' history, "Don't Stop Believin'".

The last few years have been some of the most productive in Cain's prolific career. He has released "What God Wants To Hear" (2016),"Unsung Noel" (2017),"The Songs You Leave Behind" (2018),"More Like Jesus" (2019),"Piano Worship" (2020) and "Arise" (2022). He also authored a Rolling Stone-lauded, Publishers Weekly-bestselling memoir, "Don't Stop Believin': The Man, The Band, And The Song That Inspired Generations" (2018),which chronicles his early days with THE BABYS and his accomplishments with JOURNEY and BAD ENGLISH.

Photo credit: Micah Kandross

DISTURBED bassist John Moyer spoke to the Danny Wimmer Presents show "Power Hour" about the band's recently released eighth studio album, "Divisive". The LP was recorded earlier this year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

"It's really interesting 'cause the last album, as you recall, was [2018's] 'Evolution'," he said. "And 'Evolution', almost half that record was kind of acoustic. We were really pushing ourselves to do something different, and we had some great tracks off that — 'A Reason To Fight', 'Hold On To Memories'. And it's great, because now our live show has these acoustic moments that go along with [our cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's] 'The Sound Of Silence'. But at the end of the day, we're always gonna be a hard rock, heavy metal band that's angry. And so this record, it wasn't even forced; it was, like, 'This is where we're at now. We did that. Let's get back to our roots. Let's get that heavy…' I think David is sounding the best — David Draiman, our singer for DISTURBED — I think he's never sounded better. He sounds incredibly powerful. Nothing is over-produced. It's very visceral. His lyrics are just on fire.

"People talk about the fact that, like, 'Oh, you guys have had some success. How can you still be angry?' Just look around at the world, bro," he continued. "There's plenty to be angry about and talk about. And someone like David Draiman, he's a really smart guy; he really stays informed.

"I say this a lot about DISTURBED. I think a lot of people get into DISTURBED because of the music. Dan's [Donegan] a really heavy, powerful guitar player. No one really plays drums like Mikey [Wengren]. Mikey and Dan have this syncopation that they do together. And me, I'm just there laying as thick a bass as I can to support these guys. And I think that's why people get into DISTURBED. But I think people stay because of the messages that David puts in those lyrics. And I think this new 'Divisive' record is filled with all kinds of powerful messages that our fans — and not just our fans, but even new fans — would really like."

Donegan's divorce inspired the "Divisive" song "Don't Tell Me", which is a duet with HEART's Ann Wilson. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

Draiman previously stated about the "Divisive" album title: "Partisan tribal warfare has become a part of our regular existence nowadays. It's one big battle of the cliques. The whole idea of the record is to be a wakeup call for everyone. Our society has become addicted to outrage. Music is the best cure for what ails us though. If only everyone reached out and used it. There's no better environment to forget about all of this shit than live music. We can be together and realize we have more in common than not. Recognize what's happening and let's make a change for the better."

Donegan added: "Whatever it takes, we've got to pull it together. We've always tried to take negative topics and spin them in a positive light. From touring around the world, we've seen the power of music as the universal language to bring everyone together from all walks of life. We can still play songs to unite people, and it's a pretty powerful feeling."

UK hard rock stalwarts, Ten, used the downtime during the worldwide pandemic to work on not one, but two new albums. The first album to be released, Here Be Monsters, landed on February 18 via Frontiers Music Srl. The second album of the two, Something Wicked This Way Comes, will be released on January 20.


Listen to the album opener, "Look For The Rose", below, and pre-order/save Something Wicked This Way Comes here.


Following the success of the recent string of albums, from Albion to Illuminati, Hughes was joined once again by guitarists Dann Rosingana and Steve Grocott along with bass player Steve McKenna, keyboard maestro Darrel Treece-Birch and guest drummer Markus Kullman (Sinner, Glenn Hughes, Voodoo Circle) for the recording of Something Wicked This Way Comes. Ten continue to raise the musical bar higher for themselves, a goal they push on every release. Stunning guitar work, rich keyboards, excellent bass and drum interplay along with Hughes’ rich vocals are the order of the day here, as they were on this album's immediate predecessor, Here Be Monsters.




Something Wicked This Way Comes was produced by Gary Hughes and mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward. Ten’s longstanding professional association with Dennis has been ongoing since he mixed their 2011 album, Stormwarning and has always guaranteed albums with stunning sound and production.


Fans should note that there are no ties between Something Wicked This Way Comes and Here Be Monsters or anything of this nature. The band simply crafted two high quality releases and decided to put them out separately, in a fashion not too dissimilar to what happened with their amazing first two records which were recorded one after the other in a very short period of time.


Ten have an outstanding history of releases in their storied and revered catalog. Starting out as a sort of solo project built around singer and songwriter Gary Hughes, Ten found their audience playing a hard rock sound influenced by such giants as UFO, Thin Lizzy, Magnum, Giant, and Whitesnake in a time when playing this particular sound was considered commericial suicide. The band's early records such as The Name Of The Rose, The Robe, Spellbound, and Babylon established the band as mainstays in the melodic hard rock genre, which has continued throughout their now 26 year career over the course of 15 studio albums.





Something This Wicked Way Comes tracklisting:


"Look For The Rose"
"Brave New Lie"
"The Tidal Wave"
"Parabellum"
"Something Wicked This Way Comes"
"The Fire And The Rain"
"New Found Hope"
"The Only Way Out"
"When The Darkness Comes"
"The Greatest Show On Earth"


"Look For The Rose":





"The Tidal Wave" video:





Lineup:


Gary Hughes - Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dann Rosingana - Guitars
Steve Grocott - Guitars
Darrel Treece-Birch - Keyboards
Steve McKenna - Bass
Markus Kullman - Drums


Additional Musicians:


Scott Hughes - Backing Vocals
Karen Fell - Backing Vocals

Nightwish singer, Floor Jansen, has announced the release of her debut solo album, Paragon, on March 24.


This album showcases Jansen's impressive vocal range and powerful voice on a diverse collection of pop-infused tracks and emotional ballads influenced by the sounds of her career. Paragon has something for everyone and is a must-listen for fans of Jansen.


Says Floor: "‘Look at me now, I’m already there!' To renew yourself and take leaps into the unknown makes you grow. To age is a gift not everyone gets. I am a fortunate woman who got to make an album I never knew I could make. One that even defines me, where I am on my path. I have reached my PARAGON! I am so proud of this work! And grateful for all the amazing people in this beautiful life that helped me get here!"




With its mix of influences and powerful vocal performances, Paragon is an album that will appeal to fans of pop music and metal alike. It's the perfect addition to any music collection, and a must-have for fans of Floor Jansen and Nightwish.


Paragon will be released digitally and physically on CD, vinyl, and a limited edition deluxe box set. The album will be available on all major streaming platforms and at music retailers worldwide. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here.





Tracklisting:


"My Paragon"
"Daydream"
"Invincible"
"Hope"
"Come Full Circle"
"Storm"
"Me Without You"
"The Calm"
"Armoured Wings"
"Fire"


""Me Without You" video:





"Storm" video:





"Fire" video:





Following the release, Jansen will embark on a tour of The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in April and May of 2023. Fans can expect to hear more details and possibly some sneak previews of the album in the coming months.