Due January 31, 2023, just ahead of Alice Cooper's 75th birthday, via Motorbooks, "Alice Cooper @ 75" is a lavish illustrated biography of the original "shock rocker," examining an extraordinary career through the lens of 75 key events, releases, and collaborations.

Pythons, guillotines, stage blood… Cooper is widely considered the godfather of shock rock thanks to his inventive concoction of vaudeville, horror film conceits, and three-chord rock 'n' roll. In the 208-page "Alice Cooper @ 75", veteran rock journalist Gary Graff shows you this rock icon through the lens of 75 career accomplishments, events, and partnerships:

* Cooper's childhood in Detroit and Arizona and early garage bands THE EARWIGS and THE SPIDERS
* All 28 studio albums, including those as frontman of ALICE COOPER the band
* The greatest single like the classic-rock standards "I'm Eighteen", "School's Out" and "Welcome To My Nightmare"
* Collaborations with artists including Slash, Dave Grohl, Johnny Depp, Wayne Kramer, and many more
* Associations with notable guitarists, including Glen Buxton, Nita Strauss, Orianthi, and others
* Non-musical passions like classic cars and, of course, golf; his tireless charity work
* His relationship with wife and entertainment accomplice Sheryl

Every page is illustrated with stunning concert and candid offstage photography, as well as gig posters, album covers, period ads, and more. Bonus material includes a sturdy slipcase, a gatefold timeline, two pullout posters, and a previously unpublished 8" × 10".

Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock. With his influence on rock and roll long since acknowledged, his place in rock history and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame secure, and his multiple gold and platinum albums, sold-out tours plus countless honors and career achievement awards, there is little that Alice hasn't achieved in his remarkable career.

Cooper has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where 24-hour cable news can present real-life shocking images.

Still touring worldwide year-in and year-out, still hosting his worldwide syndicated radio show, still writing and recording new music, Cooper shows no sign of slowing down. This book is your unprecedented retrospective of Alice's career from teenage garage rocker to international star and celebrity.

AEROSMITH, the best-selling American rock band of all time, last night celebrated the first time in their history that their iconic recordings are unified in one place through a multi-faceted close working relationship with Universal Music Group.

UMG is now the official worldwide home to AEROSMITH's entire recorded music catalog, future new music releases, merchandise and audio-visual content.

In addition to supporting the band's consolidated catalog, this relationship will also make use of unprecedented access to the storied "Vindaloo Vaults" and personal archives of bandmembers Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford, who will actively help curate their collections of music, photos, video footage, artwork, journals, set lists and memorabilia.

The historic global alliance between AEROSMITH and Universal Music Group was announced last year. The band's manager Larry Rudolph and longtime attorney Jeff Smith represented the band.

Since AEROSMITH's founding 50 years ago, the group has gone on to sell more than 150 million albums around the world; produced genre-defining music videos such as "Amazing", "Crazy", "Janie's Got A Gun", "Livin' On The Edge" and "Love In An Elevator"; launched extravagant record-shattering global tours, most recently with their ongoing smash hit Las Vegas residency. The band has broken numerous boundaries, including becoming the first rock band with a massive commercially successful hip-hop collaboration with RUN DMC on "Walk This Way" and the first hard rock band to appear during a Super Bowl Halftime Show with their 2001 performance, and in 1999, AEROSMITH became the first band to have their own themed attraction at Disney World in Florida, and later Paris with the launch of the Rock 'N' Roller coaster starring AEROSMITH.

With broad cultural influence, AEROSMITH has prominently appeared in films, television shows and video games, as well as influencing multiple generations of rock bands, both as style icons and acclaimed multi-instrumentalists. MusiCares honored the band in 2020 as Person Of The Year for their many artistic achievements and dedication to philanthropy, including Steven Tyler's initiative Janie's Fund initiative, which supports young women who've suffered the trauma of abuse and neglect.

Joe Perry, AEROSMITH co-founder and lead guitarist, commented: "It's been a long road but I'm extremely happy and proud to say on behalf of AEROSMITH we have been able to bring our 50 years of music under one roof by partnering with UMG. This will allow us to bring our music to our fans in ways we never were able to before. It's something we've dreamed about happening for a long time. It's a win for AEROSMITH, UMG and ultimately our fans. Needless to say we are very excited. It's an incredible way to celebrate 50 years and the many more years to come."

Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG, said: "AEROSMITH's global success places them in rarefied air among the all-time greatest rock icons. On the band's 50th anniversary, AEROSMITH continues to influence the course of music not only through their iconic catalog but also through film, television and video games and their inimitable style. On a personal note, I couldn't be prouder that they have chosen UMG as their global partner. We look forward to building upon their incredible legacy and ensuring their music continues to inspire fans around the world."

AEROSMITH manager Larry Rudolph said: "I couldn't be happier for the band members and their families. Not only are we bringing together the band's entire catalog in one place, but we're entrusting these recordings to the very capable hands of Sir Lucian, Bruce Resnikoff and the incredible UMG system worldwide. I would like to thank Sir Lucian for tirelessly working together to craft perhaps the most unique and mutually beneficial catalog arrangement in history and providing a huge commitment to AEROSMITH. The members of AEROSMITH and I thank him and we all look forward to many years of successfully continuing to share the catalog of the greatest American rock band in history with the world."

The partnership significantly expands AEROSMITH's historic relationship with UMG. The band recorded some of its biggest-selling albums for Geffen Records, including "Done With Mirrors" (1985),"Permanent Vacation" (1987),"Pump" (1989) and "Get A Grip" (1993). AEROSMITH additionally works with Bravado's Epic Rights for merchandise and has previously released concert films through Eagle Rock Entertainment. Additionally, AEROSMITH is part of UMG's partnership with YouTube bringing music videos into current video and audio standards, with recent releases, including "Dude Looks Like A Lady" and "Dream On".

Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001, AEROSMITH is tied for the most RIAA album certifications by an American group with 25 gold, 18 platinum, 12 multi-platinum and one diamond. As the band was founded in Boston in 1970, April 13 has been declared "Aerosmith Day" in Massachusetts by former governor William Weld.

Photo (left to right): Larry Rudolph, Tom Hamilton, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford

The Royal Mint, the official maker of UK coins, has launched a new collectable coin celebrating the iconic British rock and roll band, The Rolling Stones.





The Rolling Stones collectable coin is the fifth in The Royal Mint’s ‘Music Legends’ series, which celebrates legendary British artists through original new designs. This latest coin follows designs in honour of music icons Queen, Elton John, David Bowie, and The Who and has become one of The Royal Mint’s most popular global coin collections.




Designed by Hannah Phizacklea, the coin brings together elements of The Stones’ instruments, stage presence, heritage and fashion to celebrate the global impact of their music. The bespoke coin captures the band in their element, mid-performance via a silhouette illustration designed to reflect the energy and excitement of attending their gigs.





The band said: “We are delighted to be honoured by way of an official UK coin. Even more significant that the release coincides with our 60th anniversary.”


Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: “Our Music Legends series is creating a new generation of coin collectors, and we are delighted to honour The Rolling Stones’ musical achievements with this new collectable coin. We hope this provides a fitting tribute to the band’s sixty years of rock and roll music for their millions of fans across the globe.  With a list of hits that includes eight UK number one singles, thirteen UK number one albums, and countless hits internationally, The Rolling Stones are UK rock legends, and we anticipate this coin being incredibly sought-after by coin collectors and music lovers alike. The coin is also one of the last to be released bearing the effigy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, marking a significant moment in history.”


Since forming in 1962, The Rolling Stones have wowed fans around the world with their timeless hits, classic albums and iconic performances. A legendary act with cross-generational appeal, The Rolling Stones are one of the biggest-selling acts in British music history and are hailed by many as ‘The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World’.


Brought together by The Royal Mint and Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading merchandise and brand management company, The Rolling Stones coin is available as limited-edition precious metal proof editions as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition. The Brilliant Uncirculated coin is also available in colour exclusive to The Royal Mint. View the full collection on The Royal Mint’s website, here.


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.





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"





(Photo - Claude Gassian)

In a new interview with the Corpus Christi Caller Times, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked about the inspiration for the band's upcoming follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He responded: "We never really know. I don't think we've ever made a plan, per se. We did a little bit with 'Firepower' because we wanted to explore our other classic elements with PRIEST. I think the only other time where we had a kind of blueprint was 'Painkiller'. We wanted 'Painkiller' to reinforce the ferocious metal power this band possesses. Besides those two, everything is just whatever happens. We get together, as we have done for all these albums, we meet at a studio, everyone brings their ideas — some days we start with nothing — and then we end up with a song that will live forever. It's just joyous. We always try to make an album that stands alone.

"['Firepower'] was so well-received and critically acclaimed," he continued. "It was kind of like, 'Is that it? Should we leave it there? Should we leave the party now?' But that record, along with the reception from our friends and in the industry, gave us even more energy and more determination to make another PRIEST album. And make one that's a strong piece of work to come after 'Firepower'."

Earlier in the month, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules about the musical direction of the band's new material: "I've definitely used the word 'progressive' [to describe the new PRIEST music in previous interviews], purely because it's got a few musical turnarounds that 'Firepower' doesn't have. But that doesn't make it a RUSH record. It just makes it — instead of, like, a verse into a bridge into a chorus, there might be a couple of more musical passages in there to make it a bit more… interesting; might be the wrong word. I don't know. You've gotta be careful with the words you use these days. So it's not 'Firepower 2', but it's the same band a few years later, so there's obvious connections to the last record. But it's not 'Firepower 2' by any means."

Richie continued: "No PRIEST records have sounded the same, but it's got a common DNA. And you always try and make the next one sound a bit better — or whatever 'better' may be; 'better' is subjective. So, is it better written? Are the lyrics better? Does it sound better? And 'better' is always subjective. So it's hard to pinpoint, really. But it's a bit more of a musical adventure than the last one, I'd say. But then again someone might listen to it, when it does come out, and have a totally different interpretation of what it is. So it's always tough to sum up your own music without sounding up your own butt."

Asked if longtime PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier, will play on the band's album, Richie said: "He will be, yeah. I don't think he's recorded his guitar parts yet, but he's definitely involved in the writing of it. Obviously, we're all aware of his challenges with Parkinson's, so we were adamant that if he couldn't play that particular day that he was involved in the writing. He'd share his ideas with me and I'd kind of be his… he would share his ideas through me."

Last month, Halford told Q104.3 New York's "Out Of The Box With Jonathan Clarke" that PRIEST's upcoming studio album is "close" to being completed. "All the writing's done; the bulk of the recording is done," he said. "I've still gotta put my vocal tracks down. So, in essence, it's done, which is a great feeling, because that really points us to the metal future. Everything that we've done in PRIEST over the last 50-odd years has been driven by the latest music that we're making. So this is no exception.

"We'll finish this 50th-anniversary celebration down in São Paulo, Brazil on December the 18th, and that'll be this year done," Rob added. "And then next year we're kicking off with our good friend Ozzy [Osbourne] in the U.K.; we'll do some shows with him. And [in the rest of] Europe. And then a few other bits and pieces we've got going over in Europe. And then we stop. And then we plan the next release sequence for the next PRIEST album."

Earlier in October, Halford told AXS TV's Katie Daryl about what PRIEST fans can expect from the upcoming LP: "The same energy, the same vitality, the same determination, and it really is, again, another affirmation of what you love about JUDAS PRIEST. If you listen to any album from PRIEST from 'Rocka Rolla' in the '70s up to the 2000s with 'Firepower' and everything that went on between there, whether it was 'Turbo Lover' or whether it was the 'Painkiller' or '[You've Got] Another Thing Comin'', all of these pinpoints connect the dots of this great 50 years of metal, this journey that we're on. And it ain't over yet, folks, because that means another album and another tour. And we can't wait to keep pouring out the metal, 'cause that turbo power isn't gonna get turned off anytime soon."

Regarding when fans can expect to see the next PRIEST LP released, Faulkner told The Entertainment Outlet: "It's always tough to talk about timeframes, because, as we know, things change. But Rob always says, 'It's done when it's done.' There's no point in rushing anything at this point in the band's career. But it's getting there — we're working on it and it's getting there. And we're using the time we've got. These days as well, we don't need 18 months in a 10,000-square-foot studio in Fiji to do a record. The way things are these days, we can do it in a lot more economical way. So we're making technology work and we're making all that work for us so we can get it done in the best way we can so we can get it out when we can. But it'll be done when it's done."

This past February, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

Also in February, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."

A year and a half ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album would see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". He was replaced by Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Rock And Roll Beauty has announced the release of the TWISTED SISTER limited-edition beauty collection.

Known for its outrageous glam rock style and rebellious heavy metal music, TWISTED SISTER rose to super stardom thanks to their hit music videos, while their rousing live shows cemented their legacy.

Through a unique collaboration with TWISTED SISTER, the licensing agent Epic Rights and the design team at Rock And Roll Beauty comes this brash and unique color cosmetic collection. The stars of this line are the TWISTED SISTER logo eye shadow palette, lip kit, three-pack eye liner, and blush palette featuring bold colors and metallic shades. To help set the stage, the collection also includes cosmetic bags, a mirror, candles, and nail decals. All products are specially designed to create a glam look that screams, "you can't stop rock 'n' roll."

Product exclusively available at www.rockandrollbeauty.com and internationally at www.revolutionbeauty.com/uk.

TWISTED SISTER joins Ozzy Osbourne, DEF LEPPARD and Jimi Hendrix in Rock And Roll Beauty's collection.

Rock And Roll Beauty marries nostalgia with the artistry of today's finest beauty products and accessories. The company's talented designers create limited-edition collections working with your favorite blasts from the past. Each collection is skillfully curated to encompass the uniqueness of each reminiscence and combine it with the latest in cruelty free cosmetics and accessories. From the company's unique one-of-a-kind collectible palettes to the metallic shimmer shades and tattoo stamp eyeliner, Rock And Roll Beauty will rock your world!

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

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

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

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

From this Christmas, Mono are pleased to announce that they will be releasing a mini album series called "Heaven" every year. For volume 1, the band recorded 3 new songs. The pre-order is available now exclusively from Bandcamp and will be released on December 25. All the funds gained from this platform will be put towards the recording for the 12th album which is now scheduled for February 2023.

The 3-piece effort was recorded by Takaakira ‘Taka’ Goto at Studio Forty-4. Drums recorded by Amak Golden at Golden Hive Studio in August 2022. Mixed and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri and Jeremy deVine at Black Knoll Studio in October 2022.

The grand finale of Atrocity's Okkult trilogy will be available early next year. The new album, Okkult III, will be released on January 20 via Massacre Records. Pre-order here.


The band recently released the new single and video, "Desecration Of God", which is available on streaming platforms here. Check out the official guitar playthrough video below.







Guest musicians on the album include: Elina Siirala (Leaves’ Eyes, Angel Nation), Zoe Marie Federoff (Cradle Of Filth, Catalyst Crime), Robse Dahn (Equilibrium), Misstiq, Jonah Weingarten (Catalyst Crime, Pyramaze) as well as Igor Górewicz.


Killer production by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Entertainment. Striking horror sound effects provided by Emmy Award-winning Canadian sound designer Katie Halliday (Saw, Stranger Things, Star Trek: Discovery).


The lyrical concept about the dark side of human history, obscure stories and mysterious places is spun further on Okkult III. "We look deep into the mental abysses of the serial killer Józef Cyppek from Szczecin, Poland, in the 1950s ('Cypka'), experience the great conspiracy of the Schwarze Reichswehr after World War I ('Born To Kill'), dive into the world of modern ghost conjuring ('Faces From Beyond') and into the occult machinations of the Vatican and the Order of the Knights Templar ('Bleeding For Blasphemy')," says Atrocity.


Okkult III is the culminating conclusion of the Okkult trilogy, and a self-proclaimed German death metal masterpiece.





"Desecration Of God"
"Fire Ignites"
"Born To Kill"
"Bleeding For Blasphemy"
"Priest Of Plague"
"Malicious Sukkubus" (feat. Elina Siirala & Zoe Federoff)
"Lycanthropia"
"Faces From Beyond"
"Cypka"
"Teufelsmarsch" (feat. Robse Dahn & Misstiq)


"Desecration Of God" video:

Their musical partnership extends all the way back to 1984 and the release of the now classic sophomore album from DOKKEN, "Tooth And Nail". No wonder then that when guitarist George Lynch and bassist Jeff Pilson get together, not only do the creative sparks fly but the memories come rushing back as well. Following up on the duo's most recent trip down memory lane, a full-length a collection of fresh and invigorating versions of hits from yesteryear, 2020's "Heavy Hitters", Lynch and Pilson have released a brand new single, an original song co-written by both artists that reflects back on all the twists and turns that life can bring.

"It's A Wonderful Life" is simply a gorgeous power ballad that brings out the best in both Lynch and Pilson. Musically, the song has echoes of "Tooth And Nail"'s smash hit single "Alone Again", with a beautiful, chiming acoustic guitar intro that gives way to epic, fist-pumping riffs. But lyrically the song couldn't be more different — instead of regret and sorrow, "It's A Wonderful Life" boasts a surprisingly optimistic and hopeful outlook on a life's journey despite the bouts of doubt and indecision. Since the song borrows its title and refrain from the popular 1946 Frank Capra Christmas classic, it seems only fitting that the single is being released just as this year's holiday season is getting into full swing.

Lynch shares his excitement about the new song, saying: "Jeff and I have been woodshedding and writing songs together for 40 years and we've never lost that enthusiasm and passion that we shared since day one." Pilson likewise proclaims: "We just HAD to write our own Christmas track. No 'Jingle Bells' for us!"

Lynch recently reteamed with Pilson for a set of new studio recordings that turn pop music classics into powerful metal anthems. The follow-up to 2020's "Heavy Hitters", tentatively titled "Heavy Hitters 2", will be released in 2023 via Deadline Music, a subsidiary of Cleopatra Records, Inc.

Earlier this year, Pilson told SW Wall Interviews how the idea for the first "Heavy Hitters" LP came about: "George had done a record and he was re-releasing it through another label, which was Cleopatra Records. And the label wanted to add a bonus song to it, and they wanted him to cover this pop song. So he said 'yes.' And then he called me and said, 'Hey, do you wanna do this with me?' I said, 'Sure.' So we did it. It came out great. We got this guy Wil Martin to sing on the song. It was the song 'Somebody To Love' by Lewis Capaldi. We did that song. It came out great. We kind of rocked it out a little bit, but it was kind of an interesting formula. So the label loved that. And then, as a result, they said, 'How would you like to do a whole record of that?' So we did. So that one came out great."

Regarding how "Heavy Hitters 2" will be different from its predecessor, Pilson said: "It's gonna be a little more of a raw '70s rock band doing these hit songs. We kind of have an interesting take on that. We're going for a little more of an organic thing this time with the band. And then we've got a guy by the name of Bernard Fowler doing the singing, who's absolutely wonderful — great, great singer. He's the background singer for THE ROLLING STONES — that little unknown band. A great guy, great singer. So I'm really looking forward to that."

Asked how he and George pick what songs to cover, Jeff said: "We just made this huge list and then whittled it down, played around with 'em — which one feels right. What can we get out of this one? Can we do something interesting to this? And just kind of go by instinct."

Lynch confirmed to Tone-Talk that "Heavy Hitters 2" will contain 11 songs, including a cover of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" and "an original Christmas song," presumably referring to "It's A Wonderful Life".

"Heavy Hitters" featured guest appearances by BULLETBOYS' Marq Torien, FISHBONE's Angelo Moore, EARSHOT's Wil Martin and the aforementioned Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE). The effort contained Lynch and Pilson's renditions of Rufus and Chaka Khan's "You Got The Love", Carole King's "I Feel The Earth", DURAN DURAN's "Ordinary World", Madonna's "Music", ONEREPUBLIC and Timbaland's "Apologize", Martha Reeves and THE VANDELLAS' "Nowhere To Run", Prince's "Kiss", R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and OASIS's "Champagne Supernova", among others.

Two years ago, George and Jeff's former bandmate in DOKKENDon Dokken criticized "Heavy Hitters" during an appearance on "The Classic Metal Show". After co-host Chris Akin named some of the songs which were reimagined by Pilson and Lynch, Don said: "But those are not heavy hitters. No offense, they are good songs, but those are vanilla tunes. [Sings 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)'] Did they rock 'em up or put some shredding guitar solos [in them]?

"They must be really bored," Dokken continued. "But, you know, everybody's got their mantra; everybody's got their financial things, I guess. If a record company is willing to give you money to put out pablum, then put out the pablum. But I hope my standards as a songwriter are a little higher than that. If I'm gonna do a remake, I'm gonna do something that was super cool, like 'Paint It Black' by THE [ROLLING] STONES or 'Revolution' by THE BEATLES or something that's awesome and do something like that. I'm not gonna do Carole King."

A few weeks later, Pilson responded to Dokken's comments during an interview with the "Rock 'N' Roll Icons With Bode James" podcast. He said: "First, let me give Don his due here. I'm sure he didn't hear it, and honestly, I'm not really concerned if he does or doesn't. But having not heard it, if I saw that list of tunes, I would say, yeah, there's some vanilla tunes in there. So that critique of his is true. The whole idea was to take tunes like that and make them cool, which I believe we did.

"I don't wanna go into Don's mind right now," he continued. "Yeah, I know him really well, and, yeah, I have an opinion of his modus operandi and what he's thinking. Let's put it this way: I wouldn't expect Don to say something nice about somebody he views as competition. I don't view him as competition. We're all musicians trying to do our thing. So I'm not gonna second-guess Don or try and get into his mind, 'cause I still love the guy — I really do. But he's always been like that; he will always critique things. That's his thing. That's fine. I wasn't so flattering of some of his DOKKEN records that he's done in the last [couple of decades]."

He added: "I still love Don, but I'm not doing this to please Don. [Laughs]"

In a new interview with Ireland's Overdrive, SACRED REICH frontman Phil Rind was asked if he and his bandmates have commenced work on material for the follow-up to 2019's "Awakening" album. He responded: "We probably have four to five to nine new songs in the works, and we actually were looking into booking a studio to record, but things didn't work out that way. We're excited to finish up [our European] tour [with SEPULTURA], and then I'm guessing that in 2023 we'll eventually get back into the studio and start recording a new album."

Rind went on to say that the material that has so far been written for SACRED REICH's upcoming LP is not yet ready to be performed live. "At the moment, they are just demos and ideas," he explained. "It's far too early to let anyone hear them, especially on this tour. We need to do a lot more work on them before we get to that point."

Phil also talked about the overwhelmingly positive response to "Awakening", which marked SACRED REICH's first LP in 23 years.

"It's interesting because being in a band, playing the old stuff night after night, that's fine, but being able to bring in new material that slots in so nicely alongside the older tunes… well, that really gave us a shot of adrenaline," he said. "Since then, we've become more of a forward-thinking band. We have new stuff to play, and as the tour grew, it was really fascinating to see the music grow with the audience night after night. That was a real eye-opener for us, and it also felt really good. That was back in 2019 when we went out as headliners for a bunch of U.K./European shows. Having our new material make that connection with people, that was just insane to see. I'd not experienced that feeling in decades prior to that tour. That whole tour really changed our focus as a band."

"Awakening" was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others. The album marked SACRED REICH's first release since the return of drummer Dave McClain.

"Awakening" was described in a press release as "a timeless collection comprised of blistering thrash, crushing grooves, killer solos and socially conscious lyrics that demonstrate a true understanding of everything that matters most in the world today."

"Awakening" was engineered by John Aquilino and was mastered by Maor Appelbaum.

In 2019, SACRED REICH guitarist and founding member Jason Rainey exited the band for "health reasons" and was replaced by Joey Radziwill. Rainey died in March 2020 of an apparent heart attack.

Drum-cam video of W.A.S.P.'s Brazilian drummer Aquiles Priester performing with his bandmates on November 23 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee can be seen below.

Priester made his live debut with W.A.S.P. in September 2017 at the opening show of the band's "Re-Idolized - The Crimson Idol 25th Anniversary World Tour" in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Born in South Africa, Priester has collaborated with such bands and solo artists as ANGRA, HANGAR, MIDAS FATE, PRIMAL FEAR, Paul Di'Anno (ex-IRON MAIDEN),Tony MacAlpine and Vinnie Moore. He is also known for having participated in the widely talked-about DREAM THEATER drummer audition which took place after Mike Portnoy had left the band. It was after that event that DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci recommended Priester to another great guitar virtuoso, Tony MacAlpine.

Priester has released three educational publications: the book "Inside My PsychoBook: 100 Double Bass Patterns" (2011) as well as two DVDs, titled "The Infallible Reason Of My Freak Drumming" (2010) and "Top 100 Drum Fills" (2013).

Drummer Mike Dupke left W.A.S.P. in 2015 after a nine-year stint with the band. He was initially replaced on the road by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson and, later, by Randy Black (PRIMAL FEAR, DESTRUCTION).

Last month, W.A.S.P. kicked off its first U.S. tour in a decade. The trek coincides with the band's 40th anniversary and includes support from ARMORED SAINT and MICHAEL SCHENKER on select shows.

W.A.S.P.'s first live performance since December 2019 took place on July 23 at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden. A week later (July 30),W.A.S.P. also played at Skogsröjet festival in Rejmyre, Sweden.

W.A.S.P. recently postponed its European 40th-anniversary tour, originally scheduled for spring of 2022, until the spring of 2023. The new dates will take place in March, April and May of 2023. All tickets previously purchased for the 2022 tour will be valid at the rescheduled 2023 shows.