Thrash legends Exodus performed at Medellín, Colombia's Altavoz Festival 2023 on November 2013. Pro-shot video of the band's entire set can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


 "The Beatings Will Continue"
 "A Lesson in Violence"
 "Blood In, Blood Out"
 "The Years of Death and Dying"
 "Deathamphetamine"
 "Blacklist"
 "Piranha"
 "Prescribing Horror"
 "Bonded by Blood"
"The Toxic Waltz"
"Strike of the Beast"







Co-headliners Anthrax and Black Label Society will be heading back on the road for a 24-date tour, making stops in all new markets, with both bands playing headline sets. Joining Anthrax and Black Label Society as Special Guest on this run will be Northern California’s thrash metal gods, Exodus.


The tour launches on January 17 at the Revolution Concert House in Boise, ID, wrapping in Oakland, CA at the Fox Theatre on February 18. Tickets and VIP packages available now at anthrax.com/tour, blacklabelsociety.com, and exodusattack.com/site/tour-dates.


As this tour will take the bands to different markets than last summer’s did, the multi-Gold and Platinum, card-carrying member of the Big Four, six-time Grammy-nominated Anthrax looks forward to continuing the celebration of its landmark 40th anniversary (now in its 41st year) with fans.


According to the band, “We are so pumped to be hitting the road again with Black Label Society. We had such a great time when we toured with them earlier this year, that we had talked about doing it again when we were still on the road together. And, having the guys from Exodus on the bill as Special Guest, will definitely make this a tour not to miss.”


Said Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde, "Anthrax is one of The BESTEST LEGENDARY METAL/THRASH BANDS of ALL TIME - I have been buds with SCOTTY, CHARLIE, FRANKIE & JOEY for over 3O years & they are some of the BESTEST people you will meet. JON is The BESTEST new addition Anthrax could ask for. The Anthrax + Black Label Society & Exodus Tour is going to be one of the BESTEST TOURS EVER!!”


“Exodus are super stoked to announce that we will be touring with Anthrax and Black Label Society,” said the band’s Gary Holt. "Touring with our long-time friends in Anthrax is always an epic good time, and now we get to tour with BLS and watch Zakk and company rip it up nightly too! Going to be awesome and we will be bringing our unique brand of audio violence to every city! Let the metal roll!”





Tour dates:


January
17 - Boise, ID - Revolution Concert House
18 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
20 - Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
21 - Penticton, BC - So. Okanagan Events Ctr.
22 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Events Centre
24 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings
25 - Grand Forks, ND - Alerus Center
27 - Madison, WI - The Sylvee
28 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
29 - Chicago, IL - Radius
31 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater


February
2 - Portland, ME - Cross Insurance Arena
3 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
4 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
5 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
7 - Corbin, KY - Corbin Arena
8 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory at The District
10 - San Antonio, TX - Tech Port Center + Arena
11 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
13 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral Theater
14 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
15 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel
17 - Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Auditorium
18 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater

Croatian extreme metal band Prognan is releasing their first album in 10 years since the last EP, 2012’s Jama.


Album is called Naši Životi Više Ne Postoje (Our Lives Don't Exist Anymore) and it is a conceptual album about a soldier going through the horrors of World War 1. The entire story is based on true events and consist of ten songs and is over an hour long. What separates this album from most extreme albums is that there will be live recordings of percussion, choir and various orchestra.







The album will also have 15 pages of booklet with lyrics and linear notes.


Quite curious detail about this band is that lead singer, guitarist and band leader Kob (Goran Dragas) is a well-known name in the movie business. His music has been used in various Hollywood movie trailers like: Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Alien, Logan, Dr. Strange, Spiderman, Jurassic World, Game of Thrones, Star Wars: Rogue One and more.


"When I started this band, I never would have thought I would end up writing epic music for living...,” he said, "but I am so glad to be able to do what I love. In a way, I'm also glad we didn't release our first album 10 years ago when we were bunch of kids. We never would have been able to create something we have created now. My composer background really brought something new to creation of this one. This is the pinnacle of what we are able to offer at this moment."


The release date is scheduled for first quarter of 2023.

Peter Hesslein is an original founding member of the band Lucifer’s Friend and an accomplished guitarist. His first Night Drive album was meant to be a one-off, but its success prompted a sequel in Night Drive 2 and now the further demand, from fans, has led to a Night Drive 3.


Lucifer’s Friend was originally formed in Hamburg in 1970 by guitarist Peter Hesslein, singer John Lawton, bassist Dieter Horns, keyboardist Peter Hecht and drummer Joachim Reitenbach. Lucifer’s Friend reformed in 2015 and since then has recorded new studio albums and played concerts and high-profile festivals.


The last track on Night Drive 3, “Chapters Of My Life”, features a guest appearance by former Lucifer’s Friend lead singer, Mike Starrs.




Peter Hesslein said of his new studio album: “So now I’d like to share with you a third Night Drive album because I had a lot of messages asking about it.  When I started the idea, I thought the first Night Drive album would be on its own, but now fans have asked for two more albums for car journeys!  I am very grateful fans like this music and they want more from me!”


Night Drive 3 is out now and available via Amazon CD, Spotify, Apple Music. Also available directly from Cherry Red, here.

This past September, Danish progressive metal quartet, Feather Mountain, released its second album, To Exit A Maelstrom. The album is an ambitious further development of the band’s characteristic progressive metal, while the record thematically is a deeply personal story about the loss of a dear one to the slowly dissolving disease Alzheimer’s.


Now, Feather Mountain announces a batch of Danish shows in the months to come, including two December shows as support for MØL and Vola respectively, while the band will also perform at the annual When Copenhell Freezes Over showcase at Vega in Copenhagen.


 





In the same breath, the band shares a live video for the album single, "Sincere" giving a good impression on the band’s powerful live appearances. Watch the clip below.


Lead singer Mikkel Aaen Lohmann states on the live video: "Hecticmundo has made a documentary about "To Exit a Maelstrom" and our wonderful collaboration continues. We want to share with you this live footage of our performance at Copenhagen Metal Fest in 2021 that he did with us. Intertwined with the live shots are some beautiful visuals that bring mystique and an other-worldly feeling that resonates with the spirit of Feather Mountain and 'Sincere'. Our producer Johan Emanuel Jørgensen did the mix and mastering on this version of 'Sincere' and it will soon be found on the major streaming platforms. We are looking forward to our Denmark tour and we want to show the metal crowd our skills as a live band as well as songwriters. We want to draw the audience into our universe where pain, hatred and hope for a better future is essential.”





Tour dates:


December
16 - Bygningen, Vejle (with MØL)
17 - Vega, København (with Vola & H.E.R.O)


January
28 - When Copenhell Freezes Over - Vega, Copenhagen


February
17 - Radar, Aarhus (with Deadnate & Galge)
18 - Templet, Lyngby (with Deadnate and Être)
24 - Ungdommens Hus, Fredericia (with Deadnate & Galge)


March
3 - Kansas City, Odense (with Deadnate & Galge)
4 - Stars Vordingborg , Vordingborg (with Deadnate & Late Night Venture)
11 - Konfus, Esbjerg (with Deadnate & Galge)





Feather Mountain was formed in 2017 and from its inception, the band has consistently labored towards creating music that utilizes the contrasts from the heaviness of metal and the dreaminess of alternative rock. As the band moniker Feather Mountain illustrates, exactly the contrasts and nuances is pivotal to the band, which seeks towards creating sound and images that encompasses the duality and complexity of existence within its whole musical totality.


Feather Mountain debuted in 2019 with the album ‘Nidus’ with which they conveyed their own personal, faceted version of newer progressive metal, while they lyrically developed existential themes revolving around sickness and body in a symbolic, metaphorical language. Along with the debut album followed concerts, before the pandemic in 2020 complicated touring, but the band managed to play a string of shows, among those Progspace’s online event and Copenhagen Metal Fest 2021.


Since the release of Nidus, Feather Mountain has been working on new music and alongside producer Johan Emanuel Jørgensen, the band has completed its second album To Exit A Maelstrom which was released on September 2, 2022.


Feather Mountain is:


Andreas Dahl-Blumenberg - Bass, Vocals
Christian Dahl-Blumenberg - Drums
Jens Baalkilde Andersen - Guitar, Vocals
Mikkel Aaen Lohmann - Lead Vocals


(Photo - Kim Song Sternkopf/HeartMatter Artwork)

During a "VIP Experience" question-and-answer session before W.A.S.P.'s November 18 concert at The Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York, frontman Blackie Lawless was asked how he was affected by his experience with the PMRC (Parents' Music Resource Center) more than three and a half decades ago. He responded (as filmed by Kenny Kessel of The Metal Voice): "It changed my life, if that's what you mean. It made me more of a recluse. Yeah, a couple of thousand death threats and bomb scares and getting shot at a couple of times usually has a tendency to alter your outlook on life a little. But also, we were exposed to extreme fame very early, and fame is kind of like this — if this table is a smorgasbord, it's like an evil genie stands down at the end of the smorgasbord and [says], 'You can take anything you want, but if you take one thing, you take it all. You do not get to pick and choose. So all the good stuff that you like in the smorgasbord, that's wonderful, but you've gotta take the bad stuff too.' So it ends up being a life-altering experience, one I don't think you can ever really go back from — at least I haven't been able to."

Back in the mid-'80s, the PMRC published a list called "The Filthy Fifteen" which consisted of the top fifteen songs they wanted banned due to objectionable lyrics suggesting violence, sex, drugs, alcohol or the occult. They petitioned for lyrics to be printed on the album jackets and no one was safe — heavy metal acts were right there alongside the pop stars. AC/DC, Madonna, MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, Prince, W.A.S.P., MERCYFUL FATE, Vanity, DEF LEPPARD, Cyndi Lauper and TWISTED SISTER all made "The Filthy Fifteen" list. In November 1985, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) agreed to put "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" labels on selected releases at their own discretion.

In a 2004 interview with the Las Vegas Mercury, Lawless spoke about having his music slammed by the PMRC, saying: "As the story goes, [PMRC founding member] Tipper [Gore] was walking down the hall in her house and her 12-year-old son had [W.A.S.P.'s] 'Fuck Like A Beast' playing on his stereo, and she lost her mind," Lawless said. "I don't know if that's true, but that's the story I've been told.

"You wanna talk about sensationalism?" Blackie continued. "This was an organization that was seeking a platform that would help serve its own political interests. They didn't give a damn about censorship. I've spent the better part of my career trying to get people to understand that. This really is not what you think it is. They come to you like the wolf in sheep's clothing and then use you to create a frenzy — not unlike what McCarthy did with the communists and Bob Dole did with rap. This is nothing new.

"You don't have to be Nostradamus to see what's going on with young people these days," Lawless continued. "Parents just don't get involved with their kids as much as they used to. Are you going to tell me that these parents at Columbine didn't know that anything was going on with their kids? Hey, my mother knew what I was doing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But parents now, they don't want to take any responsibility for their children. They bring something into this world, and then when something goes wrong, they want to blame everybody else for it."

Last month, W.A.S.P. embark on 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.

Lawless has led W.A.S.P. as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. He is joined in the band's current lineup by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band span 26 and 18 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.

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.

The third Docker's Guild album, The Mystic Technocracy - Season 2: The Age Of Entropy, is out now. Find it on digital platforms here. Order the CD on Bandcamp.





Docker's Guild have released "Lucy", the third single from the new album. "Lucy" is episode 2.5 of the saga, and is part of the larger suite called "Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle". It is the mirror song of "Die Today". If "Die Today" was fast, aggressive and angry, Lucy is just the opposite, dark, brooding, introspective and full of loss, sorrow and pain. It tells the story of the breakdown of Jack and Lucy's relationship from Jack's point of view.







The overall narrative arc of Docker's Guild's space opera is quite complex and has been worked out down to the smallest detail. Album after album, you'll visit the dark world of The Mystic Technocracy, where a silicon-based techno-organic alien race attempts to wipe out all life on Earth through organized religion, while a tormented scientist makes his life's mission to save. humanity. The search for him will take him through the universe and on a personal journey from which there is no return.


You will meet many characters such as Dr. Jack Heisenberg, Tith, ZZ-999, Cardinal Berengar Yersinia, Lucy Higgs, Adam V, Camilla, Cassilda and many more. You will visit the alien worlds of Silix IV and Carbonia in the Andromeda Galaxy and travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs to witness their extinction.


The lineup is split in two halves:


International Artists:


Douglas R. Docker (Biloxi, Vivaldi Metal Project, Chronomaster Project): bass, keyboards, vocals, spoken voice
Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, TSO, Cher): guitars
Sascha Paeth (Avantasia): guitars
Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper): guitars
Mio Jaeger (Frantic Amber): guitars
Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering, Devin Townsend): vocals
Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Trillium): vocals
Elizabeth Andrews (Frantic Amber): extreme vocals


Italian Artists:


Helly (Killin' Beaudelaire): drums
Stefano Aglì: drums
Anna Portalupi (Hardline, Tarja Turunen): bass
Luca Pisu (I Fasti, Dirty Set): bass
Roby Salvai (Roby Salvai Quintet): bass
Giorgio Novarino (The Chronomaster Project): bass
Toni Urzì (La Quadrilla): guitars
Luigi Iamundo (The Chronomaster Project): guitars
Valentina Procopio: vocals
Anna Petracca: vocals
Serena Moine: operatic vocals


- Alberto Macerata: recording engineer
- Mixed by Neil Kernon
- Produced by Douglas R. Docker


- Artwork and booklet design by CA Beckston


"Die Today" video:





Album preview:

Right in time for the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Dutch blackened death metal institution, God Dethroned, are pleased to announce a new chapter of their career.


After having emerged in the extreme metal scene of the early 1990s and gaining international followership thanks to 12 albums that became genre milestones, God Dethroned have always remained loyal to their roots while still reinventing themselves: today, they are proud to announce their signing to Atomic Fire Records, and in anticipation of their upcoming Latin American tour, the band will reveal a surprisingly catchy yet brutal new single.







You can pre-save the upcoming track, "Asmodevs", here, and get a first sonic sneak peek via this signing video:





"It's not just excitement, we are thrilled that Atomic Fire Records decided to add God Dethroned to their artist roster," frontman Henri Sattler comments on behalf of God Dethroned. "They were on top of our wish list of new labels to sign to, so you can definitely say that a dream came true! To celebrate this new endeavour, Atomic Fire Records will release our new single & video, 'Asmodevs,' on December 2nd, right before Eindhoven Metal Meeting and our Latin American tour. What a way to end this year!"


Atomic Fire Records co-founder/A&R Markus Wosgien adds, "We are happy to welcome one of the most enduring and uncompromising death metal bands of all time, God Dethroned, to Atomic Fire Records. What would the '90s have been without »The Christhunt« and especially »The Grand Grimoire« and »Bloody Blasphemy«?! Henri Sattler is a master of his profession and with »Illuminati,« he recently underlined that God Dethroned never fail to reinvent themselves. The upcoming new track basically says it all."


Stay tuned for further information and if you can, make sure to catch God Dethroned at one of the following tour dates:


December
9 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Eindhoven Metal Meeting





30 Years of The Christhunt Latin American Tour 2022:


December
10 - Bogotá, Columbia - Ace of Spades Club
11 - Medellín, Columbia - Barnaby Jones
13 - Morelos, Mexico - The Pit
14 - Querétaro, Mexico - Elite
15 - Mexico City, Mexico - HDX Circus Bar
16 - Coquimbo, Chile - Local Boomer
17 - Santiago, Chile - Santiago Metal Festival
18 - Temuco, Chile - Casa Vieja


January
21 - Mannheim, Germany - 7er Club


February
4 - Wilrijk/Antwerp, Belgium - JC Vizit


April
22 - Vechta, Germany - Assault Of The Undead


September
23 - Heinrichsthal/Aschaffenburg, Germany - Dark Woods


God Dethroned are:


Henri Sattler - vocals, guitars
Jeroen Pomper - vocals, bass
Dave Meester - guitars
Frank Skillpero - drums


(Photo - Chantik Photography)

Three-time Grammy-nominated hard rock quartet, Nothing More, have released a lyric video for "Don't Look Back", featured on their new album, Spirits, out now via Better Noise Music.





Spirits’ 13 tracks consist of the band’s most focused, adventurous, and intense music, uniting introspective philosophical lyrics with unapologetically massive anthems. Order here.







Tracklisting:


“Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)”
“Tired Of Winning”
“Ships In The Night”
“You Don’t Know What Love Means”
“Don’t Look Back”
“The Other F Word”
“Face It”
“Best Times”
“Déjà vu”
“Dream With Me”
“Neverland”
“Valhalla (Too Young To See)”
“Spirits”


“Best Times” video:





"You Don't Know What Love Means" video:





“Tired Of Winning” / “Ships In The Night” video:





“Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)”:





“Spirits”:





(Photo - Jody Domingue)

In a new interview with "The Neil Jones Rock Show" on TotalRock, guitarist Doug Aldrich, who was a member of DIO for a short period between 2002 and 2006, was asked if he has seen "Dio: Dreamers Never Die", the first-ever career-spanning documentary on the life and times of legendary metal icon Ronnie James Dio, and whether he was approached to take part in it. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I did see it. I went to the premiere. And there's a couple of photos of me in it, and there's a small little blip where I say 'Ronnie's amazing' or something.

"I filmed a whole bunch of stuff — I mean, I probably spent, like, two hours [being interviewed for the documentary]," he explained. "And one of the cameramen came up to me at the premiere, and he goes, 'Man, you outtakes, the stuff that didn't make it, was so killer.' And I remember what I did. I took the guys in my studio and played them [an unreleased] track, a demo that Ronnie had done. He wanted me to put a solo on it. And he had done the bass and guitar and sang. He played rhythm guitar and played bass on it and Simon [Wright, then-DIO drummer], I would imagine, did the drum programming on it. But it's a haunting tune that nobody's ever heard before. And I played it for them. It didn't make it into the movie.

"The movie is a very upbeat, uplifting film about Ronnie's life," Doug added. "There's so much to cover, I can imagine that, first of all, maybe they wanted to stay away from the stuff that was gonna be too emotional. And also there's only so much time. The movie, I think, is pretty long already, so imagine everybody's interviews being all in there; it would be a 24-hour movie."

The full interview can be heard on "The Neil Jones Rock Show" on TotalRock.

Nearly two years ago, Aldrich told Danny Stoakes that Dio was, in his opinion, "the best heavy metal singer ever. There's a lot of great ones — Rob Halford [JUDAS PRIEST] and Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN]. All these guys — Biff Byford [SAXON] — they're all killer, but Ronnie, for me, that's the guy that… That [BLACK] SABBATH album was so incredible, the 'Heaven And Hell' album."

Asked what it was like to play classic songs from RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO with Ronnie, Doug said: "It was great. I actually could find really comfort in playing both Vivian's [Campbell] stuff and Tony Iommi's. My style is based a little bit on guys like Tony Iommi and also another guy called Gary Moore, who you know. Viv was influenced by Gary, so some of his stuff came a little more natural for me. And Tony was a heavy pentatonic player, and I love the pentatonic scale. So that was always fun. But playing those riffs, like 'Children Of The Sea' — oh, man. And then the [Ritchie] Blackmore stuff, I would do my best to not… I'm a completely different player than Ritchie Blackmore. I guess everyone does their own thing. I love Ritchie — I love how he approached the guitar. He reminded me of all the good things from [Jimi] Hendrix and Jeff Beck combined, and he was putting his original [spin on it]. So, playing his stuff, I would use a Strat.'

He continued: "One of the scariest parts of that [2005 tour where we recorded the] 'Holy Diver - Live' [album] is that we were doing 'Gates Of Babylon' — it's off the 'Long Live Rock 'N' Roll' album — and, man, that solo scared the shit out of me. I did a pretty good version on that night — it was pretty good; it wasn't perfect. I was just, like, 'I've just gotta get through… Once I get through that solo, if I do it halfway decent, I'm gonna be totally confident.' And then I got through that solo, and it was a great show."

In a 2015 interview with CrypticRock.com, Aldrich said that he was "only really in [DIO] for about a year, but in that year, we did do the 'Killing The Dragon' record. I got to contribute to that record with a couple of songs also, which was nice," he said. "We did a lot in that first year. We did that record, a bunch of touring, and a live DVD called 'Evil Or Divine - Live In New York City' [2005]. Then I joined WHITESNAKE, but I kept coming back to DIO. There was a couple of tours in 2005. Ronnie said, 'Would you come on tour with me?' I said, 'Absolutely, I just have to speak to David about it.' David said, 'Cool, just make sure you come back,' because we had talked about some new music and he did not want me to split."

Having also played with LION, HOUSE OF LORDS, BAD MOON RISING, HURRICANE and Glenn Hughes, Aldrich joined THE DEAD DAISIES in 2016 and can be heard on that band's last four albums, 2016's "Make Some Noise", 2018's "Burn It Down", 2021's "Holy Ground" and 2022's "Radiance".

Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and DIO, died of stomach cancer in May 2010 at the age of 67.

"Dio: Dreamers Never Die" will have its television premiere on Showtime on December 1. It will also be available to stream via the Showtime app.

Vocalist Josh Todd of California rockers BUCKCHERRY spoke to Australia's Silver Tiger Media about the band's upcoming album. The follow-up to last year's "Hellbound" was once again helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

"It's just a new body of work." Josh said. "It's where we're at today. The songs are really well written, and I think people are gonna really, really love it. There is no overall [lyrical] theme… You'll enjoy it."

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

As for a possible album title, Josh said: "[There is] no title yet. We'll see. We've been throwing around some stuff but haven't agreed on anything yet."

Earlier in the month, Todd told Australia's Metal Mal that BUCKCHERRY's new LP "will be coming next year, sometime probably beginning of summer."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On September 7, QUEEN guitarist Brian May teamed up with SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian, SONS OF APOLLO vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Graham Gouldman and opera singer Montserrat Martí to perform the QUEEN classic "The Show Must Go On" with the Armenian National Orchestra at the sixth edition of the Starmus festival in Yerevan, Armenia.

Speaking to Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show about the experience of sharing the stage with Brian, Serj said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[QUEEN is] an incredible band. They don't need me to say that, obviously; they're a huge band. And I've always respected the band and Brian's work.

"We have a mutual friend who is an astrophysicist, an Armenian astrophysicist, and this gentleman, Garik Israelian, along with Brian May, have created a festival, a science and music festival called Starmus. And that Starmus festival, they've done it in six or seven different countries around the world so far, one every year — except for the COVID years, I think. And this year was in Armenia, and they invited me to perform a few songs with the national orchestra, which was really amazing. And I also got to perform a song with Brian May. And he's a sweetheart — a really gentle but smart person, and extremely talented, needless to say. And it was just a pleasure meeting him and hanging out for a bit."

Starmus festival features presentations by legendary astronauts, Nobel Prize winners, prominent figures of science, technology, culture and arts.

Every edition of the festival is organized around a particular theme related to space exploration, and this year's topic was "50 Years On Mars".

May, who is an astrophysicist and Starmus co-founder, had performed at virtually all previous editions of the festival.

"Starmus VI: 50 Years On Mars" was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first soft landing on Mars by "Mars 3" and the first orbiter "Mariner 9". "Mariner 9" took the first high-quality images of Mars while "Mars 3" brought the first rover, Prop-M, to the surface of Mars.

The Starmus advisory board includes Dr. Brian May, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jill Tarter, Peter Gabriel, Richard Dawkins and Tony Fadell.

Speakers at Starmus VI included world-renowned astronauts, including social media-sensation Chris Hadfield; Charlie Duke (Apollo 16),the youngest man to walk on the moon; Jim Bagian, a former astronaut of Armenian descent; and Charles Bolden Jr., the former head of NASA. In addition, Starmus featured a wide selection of Nobel Laureate scientists such as Kip Thorne, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Donna Strickland, iPod creator Tony Fadell and physicist and science communicator Brian Greene. Other musicians included rock band SONS OF APOLLO, legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman, revered jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan and Andrey Makarevich, founder of Russia's oldest active rock band, amongst other celebrities and renowned scientists.

Stephen Hawking, one of the most influential scientists of the 20th and early 21st centuries, was a Starmus advisory board member and became the inspiration for an ambitious award in 2016 that recognizes the merit of popular science at an international level. The Stephen Hawking Science Medal awarding ceremony is one of the key events of the festival, aimed at promoting science to everyone. Previous winners of the medal have included Hans Zimmer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin and Brian Eno.

Armenia was selected for its contribution to astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration. For much of the 20th century, it was home to the Soviet space program, and to this day it remains a key location for the international community, housing The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and the Aragatz Station.

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KnuckleBonz has announced that production has started on a limited-edition Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH) Rock Iconz statue and a DEATH "Scream Bloody Gore" 3D vinyl collectible. Both are made in an exclusive, limited-edition and are now available for pre-order at this location.

Schuldiner's nephew Chris Steele said in a statement: "Chuck has finally been immortalized amongst the likes of Randy Rhoads, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi and Ace Frehley. KnuckleBonz truly captured the essence of Chuck at what I believe to be the peak of his short but meaningful career. I, along with the rest of the Schuldiner family, are absolutely ecstatic. Let the metal flow!"

KnuckleBonz, the creator of the Rock Iconz music collectible series, has been developing iconic, high-quality statues of the legend of rock music since 2003.

"We are so pleased to be working with the Schuldiner family to celebrate Chuck's music and legacy of metal," says Tony Simerman, CEO/creative director of KnuckleBonz, Inc. "We were founded almost 20 years ago with the goal of serving music superfans and we're very pleased to be able to create something to pay tribute to Chuck."

The DEATH collectible bundle (featuring both Chuck Schuldiner Rock Iconz and "Scream Bloody Gore" 3D vinyl) is now available for pre-order here. KnuckleBonz is offering a limited time pre-order special for the set at $290 USD.

The Chuck Schuldiner Rock Iconz statue is crafted by hand. Each figure is hand-painted, numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity on the base. This is an officially licensed, limited-edition collectible with only 3000 made.

"Scream Bloody Gore" 3D Vinyl collectible statue captures the great album art of the last several decades and brings that to you in a statue collector series. Only 1987 will be cast for DEATH superfans worldwide. Each piece is hand-crafted.

These highly exclusive, limited-edition collectibles are now available for pre-order to reserve. The anticipated ship date is spring 2023; however, KnuckleBonz will announce a more precise shipping timeframe later this year. Stay tuned to KnuckleBonz.com in the coming weeks for updates.

During an appearance on this past Wednesday's (November 16) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The great thing about this is we're not in a rush. We wanna make sure it's the right record. We can't just throw out something that's not ready. So we're gonna really make sure it's the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we've been working on. Everybody can say that when they're working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I'm pretty proud of what we've come up with so far."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin spoke about previously announced plans to reissue the albums he recorded with the band. Martin said: "Honestly, I have no idea what's happening with it. I know it's gonna be next year, but that's all I know."

This past summer, Martin told "The Rock And Metal Profs: The History And Philosophy Of Rock And Metal" podcast that "two record labels" were going to re-release the albums he recorded with SABBATH. "I don't know when, and I don't know what it's gonna look like," he said. "There was some suggestion a while back that we might be able to put extra tracks and stuff on it. I did offer, and I went to see [BLACK SABBATH guitarist] Tony Iommi and offered some things. And then he said we can't use anything new 'cause nothing new can be released under the BLACK SABBATH name. It can only be stuff that's got the original four members on it.

"I'm expecting it to be a remixed version of whatever the original was; that's what I'm expecting," Tony added. "So I await as you do to find out. Let me know if you hear it first."

When the interviewer expressed hope that the box set will include some live recordings from the Martin era of SABBATH, either in audio or video format, Tony said: "I recorded the writing session with… Eddie Van Halen came over and helped us write one of the tracks [for 1994's 'Cross Purposes' album]. And I had an eight-track recorder at the time in the 1980s, and I used to take it everywhere, this thing. I've got all of the writing sessions and rehearsals recorded. So I sent [Iommi] this, and he went, 'Wow! That's fucking great.' And I said, 'Well, you're welcome to use it, if you wanna put that on.' So, I don't know… Maybe you'll get that on there."

Martin added: "It's great to hear Eddie play."

BLACK SABBATH released six albums with Martin on vocals: "The Eternal Idol" (1987),"Headless Cross" (1989),"Tyr" (1990),"Cross Purposes" (1994),"Cross Purposes Live" (1995) and "Forbidden" (1995). Eventually, Martin and his "Forbidden"-era bandmates were ousted when Iommi reunited with SABBATH's fellow original members.

This past January, Martin reflected on his time with SABBATH during an appearance on "The Ron Keel Podcast", saying: "It doesn't haunt me. It's not a bad thing. I've got a lot to be grateful for. SABBATH is the reason why you, and the world, knows about my voice. So there are things to be grateful for. It was hard work for me. I'm 12 years younger than the rest of the guys, so even just circle of friends was different — they're hanging out with Ian Gillan and Brian May, and my best friend is Dave down the road. So that was a gap. And also the experience — they were way ahead of me in experience, at least 12 years further up the road from me, and I never could quite catch them up; they will always have that much more experience than me. So that was hard work."

He continued: "When I first got the gig, it was actually 1986 that I was put on standby when they were with Glenn Hughes on the 'Seventh Star' album. And I don't know what the issues were, but something went wrong with Glenn and they put me on standby. That scared me to death, 'cause it's Glenn Hughes. I can't sing like Glenn Hughes; nobody can sing like Glenn Hughes. Only Glenn Hughes can sing like Glenn Hughes. So that was really scary. Then they got Ray Gillen in. Then he left — he left to join BLUE MURDER with John Sykes, so they called me again and said, 'You'd better come down to the studio and try this out.' And they gave me one song, which was 'The Shining' off 'Eternal Idol', and then two days later said, 'Okay. You've got the job. You've got a week to finish the album.' So right from the start it was scary — it was huge; suddenly being the frontman of BLACK SABBATH was just ridiculous. And yeah, the whole association with me and my voice lasted 11 years."

Six years ago, Iommi told I Heart Guitar that "it's a shame" that "it took a lot for people to accept" Martin as SABBATH's vocalist. "It's taken all these years later for people to say, 'Oh blimey, that was a good band with good singing.' So it took a long time to get people to really realize how good it was."

In 2018, Iommi spent time in the studio remixing "Forbidden" for a future release. The LP, which features Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, is often regarded as SABBATH's worst studio recording.

In a 2012 interview with Über Röck, Martin said that he was "surprised" to see Iommi criticizing him in the guitarist's "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" book (referring to the Martin period, especially the touring phase following the release of "Cross Purposes" in 1994, Iommi lambasted his former singer as "unprofessional" and having "no stage presence"). Martin said: "I mean, they never said anything to me. Surely, if you've got a problem, the first person you should say something to is the person that's in the band with you... It sounds like a really stupid thing to say, as they didn't say anything to my face — and, if that's the case, then more fool them for not saying anything, because, you know, we could have fixed it. I said to them, endlessly, that if there was anything they wanted changed, done differently, just to say and we could fix it, but clearly, they didn't, they hadn't got the guts to, obviously, and to write about it in a book afterwards seems a bit daft to me. I'm not bitter about it, but it is surprising... It seems a bit stupid to say that after the event."

Martin's latest solo album, "Thorns", arrived in January via Battlegod Productions and Dark Star Records. Among the guest musicians appearing on the LP are Scott McClellan (who helped write the album),Danny "Danté" Needham (VENOM),Magnus Rosén (HAMMERFALL),Greg Smith (ALICE COOPER, RAINBOW, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT) and Martin's youngest son Joe.

On the heels of MÖTLEY CRÜE's highly successful "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD and playing to over one million fans in North America this year, BMG announced today the release of the limited-edition box set "Crücial Crüe: The Studio Albums 1981-1989" featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE's first five platinum selling landmark albums pressed on colored vinyl — "Too Fast For Love" (white/black splatter),"Shout At The Devil" (Yellow/black splatter),"Theatre Of Pain" (hot pink magenta/black splatter),"Girls, Girls, Girls" (cyan blue / black splatter) and "Dr. Feelgood" (coke bottle green / oxblood splatter) — housed in a solid black slipcase with foil imprint and only available in this box set. The "Crücial Crüe" box set will also be released on CD, with only 10,000 units of each configuration available globally.

"Crücial Crüe: The Studio Albums 1981-1989" includes MÖTLEY CRÜE's first five platinum selling albums and features some of their massive hits and essential CRÜE tracks.

"Too Fast For Love" (White/Black Splatter)

In 1981 MÖTLEY CRÜE released their platinum selling debut album "Too Fast For Love" which hit No. 77 on the Billboard 200 and ranks No. 22 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" list. The album features MÖTLEY CRÜE live staples and fan favorites such as "Live Wire", "Take Me To The Top" and "Public Enemy #1".

"Shout At The Devil" (Yellow/Black Splatter)

MÖTLEY CRÜE continued to gain global steam with their second studio album "Shout At The Devil" debuting at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and now certified four times platinum. The album features the single "Looks That Kill", which hit No. 12 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, the title track "Shout At The Devil", which hit No. 30 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and "Too Young To Fall In Love", which reached No. 17 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Theatre Of Pain" (Hot Pink Magenta/Black Splatter)

Released in 1985, the band's Top Ten album "Theatre Of Pain" debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and is certified four times platinum. The album features their power ballad "Home Sweet Home", which hit No. 38 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the MTV staple "Smokin' In The Boys Room", which hit No. 7 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Girls, Girls, Girls" (Cyan Blue / Black Splatter)

1987's "Girls, Girls, Girls" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and is certified four times platinum. Included are the tracks "Girls, Girls, Girls", which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 20 on the Mainstream Rock chart, plus CRÜE staples such as "Wild Side" and "Bad Boy Boogie".

"Dr. Feelgood" (Coke Bottle Green / Oxblood Splatter)

Released in 1989, MÖTLEY CRÜE's hit album "Dr. Feelgood" has sold over six million copies, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and remained in the charts for a total of 109 weeks. Included are their Top 10 hits "Dr. Feelgood", which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, "Without You", which went to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 11 Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, "Kickstart My Heart", which reached No. 17 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)", which hit No. 13 on the Mainstream Rock and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After a highly successful U.S. tour, MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD will once again reteam for "The World Tour" in 2023, hitting Latin America in February and March, and the U.K. and Europe in May, June, and July.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, the quartet — Vince Neil (vocals),Nikki Sixx (bass),Tommy Lee (drums) and Mick Mars (guitars) — has commandeered the rock pantheon for 41 years. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, garnered seven USA platinum and multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles, three Grammy nominations, five New York Times best-selling books, a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and a Netflix hit movie.

MÖTLEY CRÜE have amassed over 5 billion streams across digital platforms and the band has over eight million followers on social media. Known for their iconic live performances, the band has sold-out countless tours across the globe in front of millions of fans with groundbreaking production highlights such as Tommy Lee's drum-rollercoaster and Nikki Sixx's flame-throwing-bass. They pioneered the Las Vegas rock residency with a sold-out run in 2012. MÖTLEY CRÜE's hit songs such as "Kickstart My Heart" and "Home Sweet Home" are frequently licensed by major brands such as NASCAR, Dodge, Coldwell Banker, Carl's Jr. and KIA, to name a few, and their music can be heard on TV hit shows such as "Stranger Things" and "Cobra Kai", among many others.

The band's biography "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band" became a New York Times best-seller in 2001 and has sold over one million copies worldwide. Members of the band have authored four additional New York Times best-selling books since. In 2019 Netflix premiered "The Dirt" biopic based on the bestselling book which became a global hit movie scoring a 94% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. As a result, MÖTLEY CRÜE gained an entire new generation of young fans who discovered the band through the movie and further solidified their iconic status, relevance, and the timelessness of their songwriting.

MÖTLEY CRÜE remains a huge global draw 41 years into their career and, in the summer of 2022 co-headlined a nearly sold out North American stadium tour with DEF LEPPARD. The tour is set to travel to the rest of the world in 2023.

Rising psych-occultists Green Lung, who recently announced their signing to Nuclear Blast Records, have issued the following update:


"We have enjoyed resurrecting one of the first songs we wrote as a band, 'Lady Lucifer', on tour with Clutch - it's incredibly satisfying to play a song that started its life at basement shows in cavernous theatres! So it feels only right that we resurrect the video from the vaults, too - you can behold the grimy DIY origins of the band in flickering Dungeonvision."


Stream "Lady Lucifer" here, and watch the video below:







The band's rich blend of proto-metal and doom laden hard rock, steeped in distinctly British folklore has proven a monumental hit across their debut EP Free The Witch (2018) and two critically acclaimed albums Woodland Rites (2019) and Black Harvest (2021). Watch the re-released video for "Let The Devil In" below.


Vocalist, Tom Templar comments on the signing to Nuclear Blast: "We're incredibly excited to partner with the team at Nuclear Blast to usher in the next era of Green Lung. Over the past five years we've gone from playing DIY basement shows and selling our music on home-taped cassettes to playing international festivals and working with the world's biggest metal label, and that's entirely down to the support and enthusiasm of our endearingly cult-like fanbase. We can't thank you all enough for your faith and support in getting us to this point, and rest assured we're only just  getting started. We've spent the past few months hoping to repay the debt by writing our most ambitious album yet, and look forward to getting back into the studio to record it. But before then, we'll be embarking on our biggest tour to date, supporting Clutch across the UK and Europe this November and December. Come, join our rites!"


Senior A&R, Nathan Barley Phillips states: "I was lucky enough to catch Green Lung play at London's infamous Black Heart venue right before the covid lockdown kicked in during early 2020... I then spent two long years desperately waiting for another opportunity, thanking the blesséd wheat-weaving gods when Desertfest rolled around again in early 2022 and the stars of the goatwizard finally aligned. This band has riffs for days and I am so proud and excited to welcome them to Nuclear Blast. A special thanks to AMF Music Publishing for helping to make this happen - I can't wait to see what we can all achieve together!"





Green Lung is:


Tom Templar - Vocals
Scott Black - Guitar
Joseph Ghast - Bass
John Wright - Organ
Matt Wiseman - Drums


(Photo - Andy Ford)

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE recorded a cover version of "My Friend Of Misery" for Kerrang! magazine's "Metallica The Black Album: Covered" compilation a decade ago. Asked in a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", which other METALLICA song he would like to cover if he got the chance, vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli responded: "I would absolutely do my favorite METALLICA song ever, which is 'The Shortest Straw' from '…And Justice For All'. That is, in my opinion, one of the more angrier, if not the angriest METALLICA song. I mean, the whole opinion is — in my opinion — their darkest, heaviest, most angry record. But that song, to me, just has some sort of aggressiveness that just sunk its teeth into me. It's my favorite, and I would love to cover it."

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's latest album "Scoring The End Of The World", entered Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 1 this past June, becoming the band's fifth Top 5 on the chart. The album also landed at #3 on Billboard's Top Current Albums chart, No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums tally, and No. 12 on the Billboard 200, marking the group's second largest sales week ever with 29,500 in total consumption. "Scoring The End Of The World" is also highlighted by the singles "Cyberhex", which trended Top 10 on YouTube, and the follow-up "Masterpiece", which lit up streaming platforms and reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio earlier this month.

Late last month, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE kicked off the third leg of the widely popular triple co-headline "Trinity Of Terror" tour alongside ICE NINE KILLS and BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

"Scoring The End Of The World" fully encompasses the expanse of the band's dynamic, deep, and dark vision, and marks the band's first full-length body of work in three years since 2019's "Disguise". The latter has quietly made a major impact on rock music and culture. The single "Another Life" stands out as their most-streamed song ever with over 31 million YouTube views on the music video. The record claimed a spot on Loudwire's "50 Best Metal Albums of 2019," plus it ignited the creative renaissance that would set the stage for the statement-making "Scoring The End Of The World".

Italian electronic-metal act, Kalah, have released the video for their single, "Mermaids' Cry", taken from the debut album, Descent Into Human Weakness, released back in August via Pure Steel Records.





Directed by Carlos Reyes Vergara, the video sees singer Claudia in the role of a horrific siren who lures her prey into the world of dreams. The track mixes dark Nevermore-like atmospheres with the melodic openings of power metal, without neglecting the usual influences of heavier electronics.




Watch the new clip below:

Finnish symphonic metal band, Memoira, have released a new single and video, "Autumn's Heart". The new single represents a softer side of Memoira with the theme being the loss of a child.


"The lyrical theme of the song is child loss. The narrator is the mother, who has just lost her child right as the child had started his young adult life. The mother is reminiscing about all that they've been through with a plaintive mind, but there is also hope. For everything they've been through, there are always the memories. Autumn's heart is the cradle of the end of your life where all the memories will live on forever." - Lassi Nuolivaara (keyboards)


"Autumn's Heart" is available through all major streaming platforms.







The band will continue their Female Fronted Metal Night Tour with Averlanche and Dorothy Polonium in December and January.


Memoira lineup:


Annika Jalkanen - Vocals
Lassi Nuolivaara - Keyboards
Serdar Ilter - Guitar
Niko Laaksonen - Bass
Kimmo Puhakka – Drums

Legendary American metal vocalist, Leather, has released her new single and video for the song, "We Are The Chosen", the title track of her new studio album, out Friday, November 25. The song is available on all digital platforms here.





The "We Are The Chosen" video was shot in the forests of Brazil and was directed by Walter de Andrade. Watch below:







Leather Leone caused a sensation in the 1980s as frontwoman of Chastain, the band of guitar icon David T. Chastain. Together with him, Leone has produced a series of successful albums up to the present day, some of them for US talent scout Mike Varney’s imprint, Shrapnel Records. She has also released successful recordings with Malibu Barbi, Sledge/Leather, among others, and as a solo artist.


We Are the Chosen was recorded at the Hertz Studios (Behemoth, Vader, Hate among others) in Białystok, Poland, with Leather Leone and Vinnie Tex in charge of songwriting and production. Woitek and Slawek Wieslawski mixed and mastered the material, and Marcelo Vasco (Slayer, Kreator, Testament) contributed the cover artwork.


Leather and Vinnie Tex have invested vitality and passion in every last detail of their new metal anthems, so it comes as no surprise that Leone sums up her latest offering as follows: “To me, We Are the Chosen is a labour of love and I’m incredibly proud of it!”


We Are The Chosen will be released on November 25 as CD DigiPak, LP version, CD/LP bundle with shirt (only at the Steamhammer shop), download and stream. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"We Take Back Control"
"Always Been Evil"
"Shadows"
"Off With Your Head"
"We Are The Chosen"
"Tyrants"
"Hallowed Ground"
"Dark Days"
"Who Rules The World"
"The Glory In The End"


"Who Rules The World" lyric video:





"We Take Control" lyric video:





Teaser:

JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain has fired back at guitarist Neal Schon over allegations that Cain is blocking access to "critical" financial records.

Schon filed a lawsuit against Cain last month in California state court, alleging that Cain set up an American Express card without telling Schon and that "millions of JOURNEY funds have flowed through it."

Schon's attorneys claim in the suit, which was filed in Contra Costa in the Bay Area of California, that Cain hasn't turned over financial records that allow Schon to know how much the band owes him.

According to the lawsuit, Cain and Schon set up a company after a previous legal dispute with former bass player Ross Valory that operates the band, Nomota, of which they own 50 percent each.

"As a member and manager and founder and leader of JOURNEY," the documents say, "Schon has the right to access and control Nomota's books and records. Schon must have unfettered access to Nomota's records so he can oversee and manage Nomota/JOURNEY."

Earlier today, Cain released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding Schon's lawsuit: "This is a matter that should have been resolved privately, but I am forced to publicly respond now to Neal's malicious lies and personal attacks on my family and I in an effort to garner public support for his ill-conceived lawsuit — a lawsuit that has absolutely no merit.

"Neal has always had access to the credit card statements; what he lacks — and what he is really seeking — is the ability to increase his spending limits.

"Since Neal decided to publicize what is going on, I can tell you we will present the evidence to the court that shows that Neal has been under tremendous financial pressure as a result of his excessive spending and extravagant lifestyle, which led to him running up enormous personal charges on the band's credit card account," Jonathan continued. "When efforts were made to limit his use of the card to legitimate band expenses, Neal unfortunately decided to attack me rather than trying to get his reckless spending under control.

"I am saddened by the situation — for Neal and for our fans — but since Neal filed a lawsuit, I suspect he will not be able to ignore the court like he has ignored the countless financial advisors and accountants he has fired over the past several years who have tried in vain to help him," Cain added.

In a separate statement, Cain's attorney Alan Gutman of Gutman Law said: "The evidence will establish that Schon's financial crisis has nothing to do with his professed 'unfettered access to Nomota's records.' Our investigation has established that Schon's personal financial problems resulted solely from his reckless spending, including what preliminarily appears to be charging more than $1 million of improper personal expenses on the band's corporate Nomota AMEX card.

"Schon's complaint is the classic example of desperate people doing desperate things. It's very unfortunate that Neal — and Neal alone — has created such difficulties for himself and his family through his profligate spending."

On Monday (November 21),several hours after Schon's legal action was covered by a number of media outlets, Neal took to his social media to write: "The only comment I'll make at this time is it's all very unfortunate and tried for over a year to attain all our corporate records for Nomota with many personal e-mails to Jon as well as many legal letter stating it's my legal right to see all but I was left with no choice but to take it legal."

An earlier message on a social media account Neal shares with his wife, Michaele Schon, read: "Thankful for American Express and the Bank for telling Neal Schön the truth about Jonathan Cain and Paula White going behind Neal's back . Adding Paula White to JOURNEY corporate Banking in 2020 is unethical and unlawful to Neal, he said never do it , they did it anyway . Good for the honest bank rep. Thankful #thankful #faith".

Back in 2017, Schon and Cain feuded publicly on social media after Cain, singer Arnel Pineda and Valory were photographed at the White House with then-U.S. president Donald Trump. Cain is a devout born-again Christian whose minister wife Paula White-Cain delivered the invocation at Trump's inauguration.

This is just the latest in a string of lawsuits between current and former JOURNEY members in recent years. This past September, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry sued Schon and Cain over the trademarks to 20 of the group's biggest songs.

Three and a half years ago, Schon and Cain were embroiled in a legal dispute with former JOURNEY drummer Steve Smith and Valory. In April of 2021, Schon and Cain "reached an amicable settlement agreement" with Smith and Valory.

JOURNEY now consists of Schon and Cain, longtime singer Arnel Pineda, drummer Deen Castronovo, keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka and bassist Todd Jensen.

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST were reunited with guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer Les Binks for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Pro-shot video of the performance as well as Alice Cooper's induction speech and the PRIEST members' acceptance speeches, which aired this past Saturday (November 19) on HBO, can be seen below.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The JUDAS PRIEST members who got inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Binks and late drummer Dave Holland.

Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and current guitarist Richie Faulkner for a three-song medley consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

PRIEST was inducted into the Rock Hall by fellow rock legend Cooper, who described them as "the definitive metal band." He added: "They defined the sound we know of heavy metal and their sound is unmistakable. And what can you say about Rob Halford's voice? Never have screams covered such a range. Is there any emotion that he can't express?

"They're electrifying on stage and one of the hardest-hitting live bands in the history of rock and roll. PRIEST has carried the flag of hard rock and heavy metal proudly for something like 50 years, never wavering or following trends or pretending to be anything but exactly what they are," Cooper said. "They are flying high tonight. Much deserved and long overdue."

In his acceptance speech, Halford told the crowd: "I'm the gay guy in the band. We call ourselves the heavy metal community which is all-inclusive, no matter what your sexual identity is, what you look like, or what you believe in or don't believe in. Everybody's welcome."

Halford also addressed the fact that PRIEST recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, saying: "We should get out another 50 years, but the joy about music is that it lives forever. And that's the reason why we're here. We live for heavy metal. We live for music. And we're living for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

In an interview with Lauren "Lern" Elwell of the KSHE radio station, Halford was asked what it was like performing with Downing and Binks at the Rock Hall. He said: "It was good. We hadn't seen [Downing] forever. And I've still yet to watch footage of that. All I remember is my brief interactions with K.K., because I'm always running around the stage like a mad drag queen. My interactions with Ken and with Les, it was great. It felt wonderful to have that moment together after such a long time. And that just shows you the power, the weight, the vibe that the Rock Hall suggests you try to attempt. Try and recapture something of the essence that it really part of why you're here, why you're being inducted. I was just so happy that Ken and Les showed up, because they needed to be there. It was entirely their choice, but I said it makes absolute sense if you're in the room and we're playing together. And we did, and it was magical."

Last month, Hill was asked by the Detroit Metro Times if he thought there was any chance of ever reconciling with Downing and him rejoining PRIEST. Hill responded: "I think time is not on our side for that, you know? Never say never, put it like that. [Downing's] gonna be there at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame anyway. He's gonna get up and play some songs with us there. It might kickstart something; I don't know. On the other hand, he might pull us all apart. [Laughs]"

Earlier last month, Downing confirmed to Ultimate Classic Rock that his goal with the Rock Hall performance was "to represent the attitude and hopefully the legend of what JUDAS PRIEST is and has become and what it means to everybody who's been on that very long journey through the decades with the band. And hopefully it will just kind of remind people and bring back some cherished memories of the heavy metal parking lots all around the world."

Downing added that performing with PRIEST again would be like riding the proverbial bicycle, more than a decade after the guitarist last played with the band. "It's what I've done so many times," Downing said. "It's almost like cracking a beer, let alone riding a bike. It's embedded in me. It's what I do. So it'll be quite something to look forward to, just to get up there and crank the amps up and just do it once again, for that short moment in time."

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan spoke to Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz about the band's plans to hit the road in support of its newly released eighth studio album "Divisive". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hopefully we'll be able to announce [some tour dates] soon. It's definitely in the works. We headlined a bunch of festivals this summer and [we spent time] just setting up this release. But we do have stuff on paper that we looked at and we agreed to it. Now it's in the hands of our management and our booking agent and the promoters to make it logistically make sense, of the routing. So hopefully we'll have something we could announce soon."

He added: "We just finished a couple of weeks ago in Dallas, a big show we did out there, and, like I said, we were just doing these festivals mainly. And then [the album] coming late at the end of the year, I think we were just doing more press stuff and preparing for a more productive show. Plus we wanted, unfortunately, to let time pass a little bit now that things are kind of slowly returning to normal. But it's been challenging for a lot of bands too, as you may have heard, just logistically 'cause of inflation. So a lot of artists I've seen, especially over in Europe… I know that SHINEDOWN had to postpone their tour, ANTHRAX, I think a few others. 'Cause a lot of that stuff has skyrocketed on prices on, obviously, fuel costs and production costs and trucking costs and travel. So it's been a little challenging for a lot of these artists to go out and do all these tours. That's why I said we're just trying to make sure that with the promoter we can do a proper routing so we don't run into that same problem of having to postpone any dates. It's just unfortunate. The nature of the environment right now is just a little challenging."

Earlier this month, DISTURBED frontman David Draiman was asked by Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3 if he and his bandmates are planning to hit the road "pretty hard" in support of "Divisive". He responded: "Not as hard as you would imagine. We're planning on starting up in the spring. We've already announced a few shows here and there. We're trying to finalize all of our plans. But DISTURBED performances will be getting more and more infrequent. We'll start up in the spring. We'll finish in the fall. There will be a full U.S. run. Exactly when we're going where, I don't know yet; it's still a moving target. I know we're planning to do a European festival run as well; a couple of those dates have been announced already. But it's tough to navigate the waters right now. So we're doing the best we can. Hopefully we'll be able to announce more as soon as it's able to be announced."

In a separate chat with HardDrive Radio, Draiman elaborated on some of the challenges DISTURBED has encountered trying to book a pandemic-era tour. He said: "Figuring things out is almost like a fluid thing. Literally just last week I thought we had a solidified schedule and where we were stopping and starting. And we've had to switch gears because things changed again. You roll with the punches. The idea is for us to start in the spring and to do a full-blown summer tour of some kind. [Laughs] And we were planning on going to do some of the European festivals. What actually ends up solidifying and happening, other than what's already been announced, your guess is as good as mine, because there's so much in flux right now. But that at least is the intention. We'll see what happens."

"Divisive" arrived on November 18 via Reprise. The LP was recorded earlier this year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee. The follow-up to 2018's "Evolution" includes the three recently released singles "Hey You", "Unstoppable" and "Divisive".

Guitarist Dan 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. Clean guitar soundtracks the story of a long-term relationship in the middle of its last gasp. David and Ann engage in a call-and-response before locking into a skyscraping harmony as the solo reaches for the heavens.

About the "Divisive" album title, Draiman noted: "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."

This past Saturday (November 19),KINGS OF THRASH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar),performed at the Days Of The Dead horror convention in Chicago, Illinois. Video of the concert can be seen below.

The group, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, along with the occasional guest appearance by another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar),recently entered the studio to begin recording the first of four original songs.

Last month, KINGS OF THRASH completed a four-date West Coast tour which culminated in a sold-out gig at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. All four shows saw KINGS OF THRASH performing MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety.

Speaking to Ralph Rasmussen of Radio Bypass about KINGS OF THRASH's recent shows and future plans, Ellefson said: "That was a thing where… Of course everybody knew our names — me, Jeff Young and Chris Poland. We advertised we were gonna play the 'Killing Is My Business' and 'So Far, So Good… So What!' records. And as it turns out, we ended up playing, like, half of 'Peace Sells' too. That's probably the most frickin' muscular setlist I've played since probably [MEGADETH's] 'Rude Awakening' [live album and DVD], when we filmed that in 2001 and I was 20 years younger. So we turned up the gas; there was no screwing around on that one. And it was great. It was super cool. It was super fun. It made me just realize how cool those songs are, how the detail and intricacies… It was a very different era, too. The songs were written under much different pretenses. There was a real innovation in those records, the stuff of the '80s, back then, that we were doing."

He continued: "We picked four cities. We said, 'Let's just go out and fire this off, kind of a proof of concept, show everybody what we've got.' I think the first night, when we played in San Diego, the fans right away got it. They were, like, 'Oh my God. Holy shit. We've been asking for this and wanting this for years. And oh my God. There they really are. Those are really the guys that played on those records. This is it.' And our drummer Fred and our singer Chaz, they got it in their hear as younger guys, so they get it and were excited to be there with us doing it. So, yeah, it really was just a moment in time for that to fire off like that so well. And now as a result, look, we've got live recordings, we've got more stuff coming up here in the New Year for that. So, yeah, that was just the beginning; that was just the first firework we blew off. There's definitely gonna be more after this."

Last month, Young told Ghost Cult magazine that KINGS OF THRASH's first original song was being recorded at a North Hollywood studio previously used by legendary producer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix). As for the musical direction of KINGS OF THRASH's original material, Jeff said: "It's got the vibe of MEGADETH — it's on that playing field, but it's got all of its own stuff and all of our influences and some SOUNDGARDEN/TOOL vibes in maybe the music and melodies."

Jeff was also full of praise for Aching and Leon, saying: "We really feel in a way how Ozzy [Osbourne] must have felt introducing Randy Rhoads to the world with these young two guys we have, both half our age and both so composed and mature musically for their age. And we've just been having a blast. And it's great that they're fans of the music and they've really studied it. Chaz, the singer/guitar player, plays in a MEGADETH tribute and fronts a SOUNDGARDEN tribute. So he has some of that Chris Cornell huskiness… So it's really cool to hear him sing these songs with a bit more huskiness and that young exuberance that he has. I think the kids are gonna love him 'cause he has that Dimebag Darrell kind of likability."

In a separate interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series, Young was asked if he, Ellefson and Poland have gotten any reaction to the tour — either in the form of a blessing or an angry rebuke — from MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine. Jeff responded: "We're really not concerned. I don't pay attention. I haven't really paid attention or followed MEGADETH since, I think, I heard the 'Rust In Peace' album a couple of times, and then what you might hear on the radio or in the press.

"For us, this isn't about any spite or retaliation; it's a celebration of the music that we were all a part of, that we helped create," he explained. "And it's fun for us to do this.

"People said, 'You should do this.' And we said, 'Hey, yeah, you're right. We should do this.' It's a win-win — it's a win for us, and it's a win for [Mustaine], because any performance royalties, anything… If we did include live tracks, he would make money off that. It's promoting albums that hopefully fans will go back and buy, which is putting money right in his pocket. Especially 'Killing Is My Business', I think a lot of people are gonna go back and wanna rediscover that album after this tour.

"For us, it's all about positivity," Young added. "We're all in this moment — we're living in the moment, and we're not looking beyond. We're not reading any of the comments on Blabbermouth or any of the stuff. Because we know what our intent is, and intent is everything. And our intent's positive. We like playing together. We know we're crafting original music. We're not relying on this; we don't need to ride the coattails of this. This is just something that the fans wanted, and you wanna give fans what they want."

Ellefson told Yes! You CAN Play Guitar! that the intention behind KINGS OF THRASH is not to stick it to his former bandmates. "This is a celebration, not a retaliation," he explained. "This is a good moment. This is a happy moment, to celebrate these songs and these tracks and these records. So we go at it with just fun… It's, like, 'Wow. Wouldn't it be fun if we went out and played these records?' And we're doing it. So it's meant to be this celebration and bringing people together. And honestly, that was kind of always my role in MEGADETH. Dave [Mustaine] always called me 'The Ambassador', and I was always that guy, and I am that guy. So it's, like, let me just continue that role in our community and have one of good will."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH a year and a half ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

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

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

Finnish hard rock monsters LORDI have inked a deal with Atomic Fire Records. The band recently completed recording a new album that will see the light of day in the spring of 2023.

LORDI comments: "We are damn proud to announce that LORDI are joining the impressive ranks of Atomic Fire Records! We're quite psyched up to stir the pots with Markus Wosgien, Flori Milz and their fantastic team.

"Leaving AFM Records (thanks a million, Jochen) was not an easy decision for us since the support there was always great!

"Stay tuned monster maniacs, the next era is all set and ready and awaiting just right around the corner..."

Atomic Fire Records label founder/A&R Markus Wosgien adds: "With LORDI, we are happy to welcome another heavyweight of the heavy metal scene to Atomic Fire Records. 20 years ago, their fantastic debut, 'Get Heavy', was released and you simply had to love them! The combination of their monster image with traditional '80s metal was a real joy on every single one of their albums and is always a guarantee for a true metal inferno live on stage.

"What Mr. Lordi and his monster clan recently created on the seven-CD package 'Lordiversity' still leaves me speechless and will probably never be seen again in this form.

"We are looking forward to the next chapter with some new monster anthems par excellence!"

Last year, LORDI released no less than seven new studio albums. The LPs marked the first new music from LORDI since the arrival of 2020's "Killection", a fictional compilation album which contained songs that LORDI would have written had the band existed between the early 1970s and the mid-1990s. Each album in the "Lordiversity" box featured a different genre approach: hard rock, disco, progressive rock, heavy metal, AOR, thrash/speed metal and industrial metal.

This past June, LORDI recruited Kone as the replacement for its departed founding guitarist Amen-Ra (a.k.a. Amen). Kone made his live debut with LORDI at the Rock In The City festival in Kuopio, Finland.

LORDI caused a sensation by winning the 2006 Eurovision with "Hard Rock Hallelujah", which in turn made the band's third release, "The Arockalypse", a hit throughout Europe. On the back of their Eurovision win, they scored a lucrative series of promotions including LORDI-branded cola, boiled sweets and credit cards; and played live at the MTV European Music Awards. A square was renamed in LORDI's honor in the Lapland city of Rovaniemi; a LORDI-themed postage stamp was issued in Finland and the group starred in its first film, called "Dark Floors".

With their monster-movie stage persona, LORDI seemed a most unlikely choice to represent their country in the Eurovision Song Contest. So you can imagine how many people were shocked when the group not only claimed top honors, but also earned the most points in the venerable event's history.

In a 2017 interview with MariskalRock, LORDI leader Mr. Lordi stated about the band's connection to Eurovision: "There was a time a couple of years ago — well, more than a couple — when I really, really, really hated that everybody's always asking about the goddamn Eurovision; there was a time. Nowadays I have come to terms with it. It's, like, okay, I'm actually proud that we are part of Eurovision history and I am proud that Eurovision is part of this band's history. I mean, it is a big part of our awareness. Because the awareness of the band would be so different, it would be so much smaller, without that one TV show ten years ago."

He continued: "I absolutely don't regret that — absolutely not. Because I have nothing bad to say about Eurovision itself, but the problem that we have had in the years is the people who actually don't know anything else except for the fact that we were on Eurovision. And that is a big stamp to get out of — it's like a fucking tattoo, you have a fucking tattoo on your forehead that says 'Eurovision.' And that is something that really, really, really drove me nuts some years ago; I was really struggling with that.

"I have come to terms with it — it's all right; I mean, it's cool," he said. "I am proud of it. And every May, when there's a new Eurovision, I know that my phone will start ringing and people will ask my opinions and then we get requests: 'Do you wanna come to this country's semifinals? Do you wanna come here?' And for years we said, 'No, we don't wanna. We don't want to.' But now, we're, like, 'Fuck it! Let's do it. What the hell?' I mean, c'mon, it's all fun, and it's part of our history, and the Eurovision, they really want us to come there, because, let's face it, we are one of those winners that people still remember."

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has weighed in on the news that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts.

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.

Ian discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in a new interview with Primordial Radio presenter Dewsbury. Asked how he feels about Zakk paying tribute to Dimebag, Scott said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. You know what? The two of those dudes [Zakk and Darrell], they were as thick as thieves, those two guys. They were so close, there was definitely a bond… I won't go as far as to say… Look, obviously, Darrell and Vinnie were brothers. Zakk was probably as close as you could get to actually having a blood relation to Darrell. Those two dudes were, like I said, thick as thieves, man.

"As long as I knew Darrell, and I hate to ever say, 'I knew the guy and this is what he would want — I feel a little uncomfortable ever doing anything like that — but in this situation, I feel like I would make an exception because I would truly think Darrell, based on my many, many, many, many conversations over the years with him, would have definitely said, 'If I ain't here, you've gotta get Zakk up there to fucking fly the flag,'" he continued. "It just sounds like something Darrell would have said. So, yeah, I think Zakk is — he's the guy; he is the guy.

"And I think the other thing… Not to get too much into the weeds on this, 'cause I know there's a lot of people out there with a lot of opinions. That's how it is — because of the Internet, everybody gets to put their opinion out there. There's no editors anymore — it's just opinions. So if you want my opinion, this is a tribute, and that's what it is meant to be. This is a tribute to one of the best bands in the history of heavy metal. It's a tribute that also happens to have two of the bandmembers in it, along with two guys who, I don't think there's anyone better to be able to pay tribute to PANTERA than Zakk and Charlie."

As for how Zakk plans to approach the PANTERA gig, Scott said: "I hope Zakk just gets up there and does Zakk. I don't look at it as a cover-band thing. The reason you wantZakk there is because, well, first of all, his technical ability is on the level where he could actually play Darrell's solos. You have to be of a certain level of a guitar player to even be able to do that. Of course, Zakkcan do that. So, yeah, he's got that ability. But you also want it to be Zakk — you want it to be Zakk, not just him trying to cover Darrell. That's how I feel about it anyway. The reason Zakk is there is because he's Zakk, because of his personality, because of his playing. They could have just found a guy in a PANTERA cover band who could probably play it note for note, and if you closed your eyes, [it would sound just like Darrell]. But I just hope Zakk gets up there and pays his tribute to his brother and to PANTERA."

Asked what he thinks about Zakk's recent admission that he was turning to guitar tutorials on YouTube while learning some of Darrell's more complicated parts, Scott said: "Yeah, well, why not? It's a lot easier than sitting there going back and trying to listen to something four thousand times to get it right. Someone's already done the work for you. [Laughs]

"When we [in ANTHRAX] were out on the tour back in August and September with [Zakk and the rest of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY], we would be in the same hotels a lot on a day off and I would see Zakk in the lobby or something. I'd be, like, 'We're going to get something to eat. You wanna go get something to eat?' He's, like, 'No. I've gotta go back to my room. I'm in Pantera University tonight.' So he'd be doing his homework. So I was, like, 'Oh, yeah. That's right. That's where you need to be. Yeah, I hear ya. No worries.' [Laughs]"

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

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

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

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

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

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

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

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