Ex-STATIC-X and DOPE guitarist Tripp Eisen says that he has "accepted responsibility" for his role in two separate incidents involving sexual relations with minors.

Eisen — whose real name is Tod Rex Salvador — was arrested in Orange County, California in late February 2005. The then-39-year-old musician allegedly met a 14-year-old Sayreville, New Jersey girl on the Internet, drove from Pennsylvania on January 7, 2005 to meet her, and assaulted her in a shopping center in Old Bridge, New Jersey. The girl's mother found out about the incident and alerted police.

In a separate incident, Eisen was arrested on February 10, 2005 on one felony count of crimes against children. Authorities from the Orange County (California) Sheriff's Department found the musician sleeping in a parked car with an underage female with whom he'd just had sexual intercourse, according to Bergen, New Jersey's The Record.

Eisen accepted a plea bargain in California for "having oral sex with a person younger than fourteen years old and more than ten years younger than him," stemming from the Orange County arrest. He was paroled from the Mid-State Correctional Facility and was released from custody on April 17, 2007 after serving time for the January 2005 incident. A year and a half later — in December 2008 — Eisen was returned to prison on a parole violation and was released again the following year.

Eisen reflected on his arrest and subsequent prison sentence in a new interview with "The Chuck Shute Podcast". Regarding his decision to accept a plea bargain, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was, like, you're not gonna fight it. You get a plea bargain. You accept responsibility. I accepted responsibility and I just did what I had to do. I made a mistake and I have to pay the price for it. And there was never, like, 'Oh, let's go to trial.' Never — [it was] never a consideration."

Asked by host Chuck Shute if those were the only two incidents that he was involved or if there were other similar situations that he was never caught for, Tripp said: "This is all I know about. It was an incident. What happens in rock and roll, you make mistakes and you do things that are irresponsible. So I did something irresponsible. A lot of people do a lot of different things, you don't know what the consequences are, really, till you get held accountable."

He continued: "I don't wanna cast any aspersions of anybody else, but there's a lot of irresponsible behavior going on. It's a culture. What happened with me is something that may or may not be commonplace in the music industry. People have told stories, we all hear the stories about your idols back in the day — LED ZEPPELIN, KISS, MÖTLEY CRÜE, RATT, POISON — all these crazy stories. I'm sure there's a lot of irresponsible behavior that went on. And all you can do is pick up the pieces when things happen. Like what happened to me, I was held accountable. To speculate on it is… I'm comfortable speculating on it. Yeah, maybe other things that happened with other people… I don't know. It's just bad decisions. And you try to overcome it."

Eisen added: "I accepted responsibility. I've talked about it. It is something that's not admirable. It's shameful and it's something that I regret. I feel a lot of remorse. I've been through a lot of therapy and counseling. I understand the motivations. I understand the way I was thinking. It's called thinking errors, cognitive distortions. And you understand where you were at the time and things like that. So, if it can help anybody to say, 'You've gotta be careful.' And I've been told that by all kinds of people: 'Hey, you should have been more careful. You should know about people, about their age and things like that.' I was a teenager; I should have known better. It's that simple. But I look for forgiveness, maybe, and that you can give somebody a second chance and that you can learn from your mistakes and not ever make 'em again."

Tripp also reflected on the time he spent in prison, saying: "You try to see good in different things and you make the most of it. If you're lost out in the wilderness or you do whatever, you're in some unbearable situation, you make the most of it and you go in survival mode. And I'm shocked I survived because I feel like I'm a wuss. I don't know how I survived gangs and all these different things. There are murderers and gang members; it's scary stuff."

Asked how he was treated by other prisoners, especially considering that child sex offenders are at risk of being murdered and assaulted in prison, Tripp said: "It can be [like that]. But if you're honest about it, you defuse it. And I was in a situation where I was just honest about it. And people who would maybe beat or murder people of certain charges, they were understanding. They said, 'Listen, that's not… You're not a child molester. You've gotta know girls' ages. That's not molesting a child.' So, people in gangs that would normally rough you up or kill you or whatever, for some reason — maybe I'm stupid — but I said, 'Let me just be honest.' And they had empathy for me, weirdly enough. I mean, hardcore skinhead gang members. It was scary. I was just, like, 'I'm just gonna tell 'em. Whatever. See what happens.' And because I was upfront and they respected me in some weird way… I don't agree with people with swastikas on their arms. I was just, like, 'If they wanna do something, they're gonna do something. What are you gonna do?' So I was honest, and they respected that. And they said, 'We wouldn't harass you about that. You've just gotta be careful.' And I've had corrections officers and different people in different situations — like actual police, corrections officers, officers of the court — ask me questions, 'What are you in for?' And I'd tell 'em, and they'd go, 'Oh. Yeah, you've gotta be careful these days.'

"So, I understand. I took responsibility," he repeated. "It's a thing that's shameful, and it's a terrible mistake. But I was in facilities with people that did horrible, horrible, horrible things. So I'm, like, 'Phew, thank God. I've just got this little bit to do here and I'm gonna get on with my life.' So, you count your blessings, and you've gotta recover from it."

Tripp joined STATIC-X in 1999 and recorded three albums with the platinum-selling band.

Eisen is currently a member of an industrial rock band called FACE WITHOUT FEAR, in which he is joined by Reg S. on bass, Kenny "Mantis" Hoyt (CRUSHPILE) on vocals, T.J. Cooke (METHODICAL) on drums and Dante on guitar.

Progressive music icons CYNIC will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal debut album, "Focus", by performing it in its entirety at two very special live performances in 2023. In addition, CYNIC will pay homage to late members Sean Reinert and Sean Malone as these are the band's first live appearances since the musicians' passings. More anniversary and memorial tribute shows will be announced in the near future.

CYNIC will first appear on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which sets sail from Miami, Florida on January 30 through February 3. Later in the year, CYNIC will perform at the illustrious ProgPower USA festival on September 6 in Atlanta, Georgia. The band's lineup for both shows will feature Paul Masvidal on vocals and guitars, Max Phelps (EXIST, DEATH TO ALL) on additional guitars and vocals, Brandon Giffin (THE FACELESS, THE ZENITH PASSAGE) on bass, and Matt Lynch (NOVA COLLECTIVE, INTRONAUT) on drums and percussion. Lynch has been drumming with CYNIC since 2015 and appeared on the band's latest full-length, "Ascension Codes", as well as the 2018 single "Humanoid". Phelps, who also appeared on "Ascension Codes", and Giffin previously toured with CYNIC during the cycles in support of the "Carbon-Based Anatomy" EP and "Kindly Bent To Free Us" album.

Masvidal comments: "Eight years since CYNIC's last live performance, like a blink of an eye. In this chapter we explore perseverance, overcoming hardship, and the healing power of music."

"Ascension Codes" is a remarkably far-reaching work, and if nothing else, a clear indication that CYNIC has landed in a place of mastery. The album, paradoxically, acts as both swan song and rebirth.

CYNIC recently released a fully instrumental version of "Ascension Codes" via Bandcamp and all streaming services.

Released in 1993, "Focus" is a certified classic. Although that era ended with transformation into the short-lived PORTAL, and then a further splinter toward AEON SPOKE, CYNIC's reunion-era has found them embraced in a way that proves how ahead of the times they were in the '90s. Through monuments such as the "Traced In Air" (2008) and "Kindly Bent To Free Us" (2014) albums, the "Carbon-Based Anatomy" and "Re-Traced" EPs, and a surprising rebirth with the "Humanoid" single of 2018, the CYNIC legacy remains untarnished.

The year 2020 will go down in history as a tremendously difficult time for the global human population. For the CYNIC family, the struggle was not restricted to a pandemic. It was two utterly senseless losses that threw the band's immediate concerns into the background: the premature deaths of drummer Sean Reinert in January, at age 48, and bassist Sean Malone in December, at age 50, were shocking and unthinkable.

Reinert, a founding CYNIC member since formation in 1988, was highly influential to a multitude of young drummers. His work on "Focus" and DEATH's watershed 1991 album "Human" found him sculpting extreme technical metal with a jazz fusion-inspired approach. Now taken for granted, that approach to the instrument and the genre was undoubtedly pioneered in large part by Reinert. Though parting with CYNIC in 2015, his imprint on CYNIC is inescapable.

The death of Sean Malone dealt another horrible layer of tragedy to CYNIC's 2020. In his many years with the band, Malone's virtuoso playing meshed intuitively with Reinert's. Together they formed a nucleus of kinetic, highly capable rhythmic dexterity that fueled CYNIC's celestial aims.

Ronnie Radke has blasted Sebastian Bach as "rude" after the two engaged in a war of words on Twitter over FALLING IN REVERSE's decision to cancel a festival appearance due to "missing" laptops.

Just hours before FALLING IN REVERSE was supposed to appear at the WIIL Rock festival on Saturday, September 24 at Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois, the singer and his bandmates scrapped their performance because their laptops — which the musicians use to "run" their "show" — were lost. At the time, Radke said in a video message that he and his bandmates had "no other option" because "as a band in 2022, you need your laptops. It's like driving a car without an engine."
A couple of days later, SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk, who has been a vocal critic of rock bands using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows, blasted FALLING IN REVERSE for canceling the concert, writing on his social media: "How much longer are fans, promoters , media, just going to accept the epidemic of live rock shows… not really being live? Paying your hard earned money to see a band play 'live' that's not truly live?!" In response, Radke wrote: "@EddieTrunk so you wanna talk hella Shit about laptops but go watch kiss lip sync, Steven Tyler plays the piano then half way through the song he stands on top of piano while it sill plays yet here we are acting like they all don't use tracks you fucking idiot. Literal moron". He also shared a video of Trunk introducing Bach's solo band at a performance, and he included the following message: "@EddieTrunk introducing @sebastianbach using tracks, both idiots talking Shit about me using tracks can't make this shit up." A short time later, Bach fired back, writing: "Wow dummy are you trying to say that you believe that I use tracks on stage? @EddieTrunk how f****** funny is this". Radke then responded: "There's a fake audience cheer in your intro tracks and also fake drums the fuck you mean? that shit isn't real you are using a fake audience cheering as you walk out on a fucking track hence you using tracks."

Things escalated further when Bach tweeted "Watch what happens when track bands call real musicians idiots", prompting Radke to write: "The fuck is your bitch ass gonna do? You disrespect an entire generation of people after you that use synths laptops and backing tracks all while using a fake audience on a track as you walk out, fuck you and fuck Eddie trunks bitch ass". Sebastian later added: "It's always so much fun to show someone what the world was like before the internet existed get f****** ready. Virtual reality is so much fun until you have to deal with actual reality. In your face. Can't wait to meet you in person. Name the time and the place and I will introduce you to rock and roll in person man".

Radke addressed his feud with Bach in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I stand my ground and I just stand by what I believe in. [Sebastian] was so rude; he's rude. Some prominent people in music DMed [direct messaged] me. It made me feel a lot better. I don't wanna call them out. But they were on my side. Even some famous wrestlers — some huge legendary wrestlers — hit me up too. And they were, like, 'He's always been an asshole.' I'm, like, 'What do you mean?' I didn't know this. I had no idea. He was, like, 'Yeah. Look.' And he shows me his screen[shots]. I'm, like, 'God, he's so rude to a lot of people. Oh my God."

Regarding how the war of words between him and Bach began, Radke said: "It started because I said I couldn't play a show 'cause our laptops are like our engine, and I stand by that. Our biggest song is almost multiplatinum, and it was No. 1 on the radio, and 60 percent of the song is literally a rap beat. Am I supposed to, like… They don't understand that; they just don't get it. It's not like SKID ROW or MÖTLEY CRÜE. Even MÖTLEY CRÜE — Nikki Sixx came to my defense, man. I think that's super cool. He defended me too."

"For anybody that's a dinosaur that doesn't understand what I'm saying right now — that's literally a dinosaur — every single band that you heard in the past 20 years has laptops. KISS — I mean, all these older bands have laptops.

"We use laptops," Ronnie confirmed. "I will not go on stage without a laptop. It has a click track to keep the time. It has rap beats that we cannot perform without. Our biggest song, fans will be very let down if we don't play 'Popular Monster' or 'Voices In My Head'. It's just a new mix; it's like a different way to operate. So it is — it's like the engine. Without it, we can't operate. We're the part of the engine, and it helps. I mean, yeah, I can sing a cappella; it's not gonna sound as good. I don't know what they want from me. I think they're just mad. I don't know. They're mad."

According to Ronnie, "all" his fans had his back when it came to the Bach feud. "I'm, like, 'Bro, if you think I'm faking it, just go on YouTube and watch any video. Tweet me a video where it looks like I'm faking it.' And nobody can," he said. "There's no faking it. We're not faking it. We need our rap beats. We need our synths. We could have, like, 25 people on stage, if that's what makes Sebastian Bach happy. I'm sure nobody else would care. Six different fucking keyboard players. Let me get two more buses on tour, which will cost 250 thousand dollars, and their pay and hotels, just so Sebastian Bach is, like, 'That's real.'"

Radke went on to clarify that his lead vocals are always one hundred percent live. "I dare anybody to go try to find a video of me ever lip syncing," he said. "From 2005 all the way to now, you're not gonna find it. I refuse to lip sync. I'll just cancel the show if my voice is gone or something. I would never do that. It's not about the money. And that's why people get mad that I cancel shows. I'm not gonna lip sync. So I challenge anybody to try to find a video of my lip syncing. You can't. And some people, they'll call me out and say, 'You are.' And I'll be, like, 'No, that's my vocal.' And then it's like a huge compliment for me, 'cause I'm proud of being able to sing, and stuff like that, live. You can tell. If you've been doing this a long time and been to a lot of shows, you can tell the difference. It's just usually people on the Internet that say that — nobody at the shows."

Back in 2019, Bach weighed in on artists who use pre-recorded tracks at their live shows, saying that "it's becoming very rare" to see bands "not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running." The former SKID ROW singer told Consequence Of Sound: "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have. And I still don't. I'm not going to for this tour. I feel like I'm one of the last people. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way'?”

"I just did this cruise, called the Legends Of Rock cruise, and there were all older bands — like KANSAS and Edgar Winter," he continued. "These guys come onstage and destroy you with their musicality. None of these bands on this cruise used tapes. And KANSAS, I was hanging out with that dude with the eyepatch [guitarist Rich Williams], and he said, 'I tell people, 'Come see this while it still exists,'' because it's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

Asked why he thinks artists using pre-recorded tracks live seems much more prevalent nowadays, Bach said: "Because everybody films everything on their phones, and then posts it all. That's the reason. Nobody wants to jump around too much and then hit a bad note, and then have it be posted on the internet, and people say, 'He's not singing it like the record.' Well, nobody is jumping around when they're on the record. So, you can either freeze or sit in a chair — that's how you make a record — and if you want to do that, it's going to be a pretty boring show."

He went on to say: "Most performers say, 'Singing is too hard.' I'm not from that school. I've done four Broadway shows — I don't transpose the keys down; I can still hit all the notes. I might not hit them all just like the record on any given night. I might not be as good as I once was… but I'm good once as I ever was. [Laughs]"

Bach previously defended KISS against claims that the band is using pre-recorded tracks during its farewell tour. "I listened to Paul Stanley sing his ass off LIVE," Sebastian tweeted after witnessing KISS's concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. "I have seen way more obvious use of backing tracks than with KISS… KISS is not lip syncing," he added. "There are too busy putting on the greatest rock show you will ever see."

In July 2020, Bach accused FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho of using pre-recorded lead vocal tracks during live performances. The former SKID ROW frontman initially claimed Jericho was "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".

In the months that ensued, Bach brought up Jericho's alleged lip syncing on several occasions, most recently in January 2021 in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly. Asked specifically about his feud with Chris, Sebastian said: "I have an open mind about everyone. If I read on Blabbermouth.com [sic] that some band says, 'We're the future of rock 'n' roll and we are the next thing after THE ROLLING STONES,' I think, this must be incredible! What have I been missing out on? So, I checked out one video during which the singer was 100% miming to a tape on stage at The Rockpile in Toronto. I thought to myself, 'That's weird, that's not the next ROLLING STONES.' So, I watch another video where he was opening up for NICKELBACK in an arena and, again, he's miming to a tape. You can go watch it for yourself. Then someone said, 'Here's a clip of him singing live. Legit, bro.' And it's him miming to a tape again. It's crazy obvious. It is not my opinion, it's fact. It is not me starting a fight. But don't tell me what singing live is, 'cause I have never used tape. I don't even know how to do that."

Former ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 has uploaded a video of him playing along to "Girls, Girls, Girls", the title track of MÖTLEY CRÜE's sixth album, which was originally released in 1987. The 52-year-old rocker captioned the clip: "It's Motley Monday!"

The latest video share comes a little over a week after John 5 posted a video of him playing along to "Too Fast For Love", the title track of MÖTLEY CRÜE's debut album, which celebrated its 41st birthday on November 10.

Last month, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx praised John 5, saying he "checks all the boxes" as Mick Mars's replacement following the latter's decision to no longer tour with the legendary rock act.

Sixx commented on John 5's addition to CRÜE while answering fan questions on Twitter. Asked why the band chose John 5, who is one of the credited co-writers on the three original songs on CRÜE's "The Dirt" soundtrack, Sixx said: "He checks all the boxes. He's a insane player. Has respect for our music, is funny as fuck and has history with us and we've written some pretty big hits together."

Sixx also addressed Mars's announcement that he was retiring from touring because of his long struggles with degenerative disease ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases.

"He's been a soldier along with us for 4 decades," Nikki said about his longtime bandmate. "We will continue to carrying our legacy to Generations of fans and honor Micks request for us to keep touring as Motley Crue."

In addition to co-writing the three songs on "The Dirt", John 5 collaborated with Sixx and Desmond Child on Meat Loaf's "The Monster Is Loose". Last year, Sixx and John 5 launched the L.A. RATS supergroup in which they were joied by Rob Zombie and drummer Tommy Clufetos.

The 71-year-old Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

A day after Mick announced his retirement from touring, remaining members Sixx, singer Vince Neil and drummer Tommy Lee vowed to "continue the legacy." In a statement, they said: "While change is never easy, we accept Mick's decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health. We have watched Mick manage his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace. To say 'enough is enough' is the ultimate act of courage. Mick's sound helped define MÖTLEY CRÜE from the minute he plugged in his guitar at our very first rehearsal together. The rest, as they say, is history. We'll continue to honor his musical legacy."

The statement continued: "We will carry out Mick's wish and continue to tour the world as planned in 2023. No doubt will it take an absolutely outstanding musician to fill Mick's shoes so we are grateful that our good friend, John 5 has agreed to come on board and join us moving forward. We'll see all you Crueheads out on the road!”

John 5, whose real name is John William Lowery, said: "I'm honored to carry on Mick's legacy and am looking forward to playing these songs."

In his statement, Mick said that he had decided to step back from live shows due to his "ongoing painful struggle" with ankylosing spondylitis and while he will continue to be a member of the band, he cannot "handle the rigors" of touring life.

The statement read: "Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band MÖTLEY CRÜE for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis, he will no longer be able to tour with the band. Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine."

John 5's involvement with MÖTLEY CRÜE as the band's new guitarist was first reported as a rumor by the Metal Sludge web site on October 7.

Speculation about John 5 replacing Mars gained strength after the longtime ROB ZOMBIE guitarist failed to appear with the shock rocker at this year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento. Rob was instead joined on stage by returning guitarist Mike Riggs for the first time since 2006.

John 5 has performed MÖTLEY CRÜE songs a number of times in the past. Back in 2018, John 5 was joined by Sixx along with ANTHRAX's Scott Ian and his wife Pearl Aday at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California to play a cover of "Shout At The Devil". Earlier this year, the guitarist ran through renditions of both "Home Sweet Home" and "Kickstart My Heart" at various shows on his U.S. tour.

Noted metal producer and current JUDAS PRIEST touring guitarist Andy Sneap spoke to Glenn Fricker, engineer at Spectre Sound Studios, about what it was like to work with PRIEST singer Rob Halford on the band's latest album, 2018's "Firepower". He said: "People go on about [Rob's] screams, but his timing, to me, and the way he snaps the lines and syncopates things, that's what makes it Rob Halford. And also his accent, that Birmingham accent, there's a little bit of that drawl in his voice when he's singing that you don't really hear out of an American singer. So there's a little bit of that in there that gives it some character and flavor, too. And he's loud as well. I'll tell you, when you're sat in the control room and he's just working ideas out and he's sitting next to you, it's, like, 'Oh, fucking hell.' [Laughs] There's that voice."

Five years ago, Sneap, who worked on the follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" with PRIEST's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH),told Serbia's Hardwired magazine that "Rob did great" during "Firepower"'s final recording sessions. "I'll tell you what: for someone who's got that much experience, there's no ego there at all," he said. "We'd do, like, six or seven passes, and I'd ask him to try something a bit [different] on this part, and he was, like, 'No problem.' And he'd give me another four takes with a slightly different vibe. And then me and Tom Allom would sit there and we'd comp it, and we pretty much agreed on everything."

Before "Firepower"'s release, Rob told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that collaborating again with Allom, who produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988),along with several live records since then, had been "brilliant" and "absolutely fantastic." "Tom has a rich history with PRIEST, particularly those great moments with 'Screaming For Vengeance', 'Defenders Of The Faith' [and] 'British Steel'," he said. "My God — he's the man in that respect. So I thought it was really great for Andy Sneap and Mike Exeter to accept that this was gonna be like a three-man job, with Andy mostly holding the reins, but with Tom by his side and Mike there [as well]."

Nearly two years ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album would see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Sneap, Allom and Exeter.

Sneap began touring with PRIEST four years ago after longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower".

Three years ago, Sneap said that he would continue to play guitar for JUDAS PRIEST "as long as they want me to." During an appearance on the "Talking Bollocks" podcast, Sneap stated: "It'd be great if Glenn was up there doing it. That's the thing that really… it's always in the back of my mind; it really is. But it's just nice that he asked me to do it. As long as they want me to help out, I'll help 'em out. That's kind of the way I'm looking at it, really."

In January, JUDAS PRIEST reversed its decision to remove Sneap from its touring lineup. The U-turn came days after PRIEST's original announcement, in which the group said it had planned to resume its "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour as "an even more powerful, relentless four-piece heavy metal band." Sneap later released a statement expressing his disappointment with the decision, while fans were understandably upset about the band's choice to forgo its classic twin-guitar attack sound. Some even called for the return of guitarist K.K. Downing, who joined PRIEST in 1970 and remained in the group until 2011.

Image courtesy of Spectre Sound Studios

HIM mastermind Ville Valo (VV) will release his debut solo album, "Neon Noir", on January 13 via Heartagram Records, distributed by UMG/Spinefarm. The LP will arrive four months after Ville released "Echolocate Your Love", the second single from "Neon Noir". Five months earlier, Valo issued "Loveletting", which marked Ville's first new music in over two years, following the release of the three-track "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" EP, also released under the VV banner, in March 2020.

Speaking about what it feels like to be releasing new music after all this time, Ville told Germany's Radio Bob! (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it feels fantastic, but it also feels a bit weird. It's always exciting, and then, at the same time, it's a bit daunting. The size of the butterflies in my stomach, the butterflies are getting bigger by the year. Maybe I'll grow wings one day.

"It was a long process [making the record], and it was a weird one," he explained. "The new album, more or less, was like a lifeline thing, because I, amongst the rest of the world, got really depressed during the COVID thing. I didn't know if we were gonna have a future and what's gonna happen. It wasn't the easiest of times, I'm sure, to anybody. So the album was very important in keeping me sort of semi-sane and giving me focus and putting my energy somewhere and trying to get something positive out from the negative. So it's like an artefact of that time to me. And it's also the first solo album I've ever done and the album I played all the instruments on. So it's a weird album. I'm a bit shocked. I think it's like post-traumatic stress, you know — PTSD."

HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career. Ville told Radio Bob!: "I think it was the right call to call it a day with HIM. We'd done it for a long, long time and it started to sort of, like, wither away a bit. It was maybe our interest and maybe just sign of the times. We'd been together for such a long time that we were ourselves really surprised that it lasted for such a long time."

VV's headline tour dates will take place next year across Europe and North America. Naturally starting in Helsinki, Finland, the 2023 extensive run reaches the U.K. in March before heading to America come April.

Asked how he is preparing for the tour, Ville told Radio Bob!: "I'm super, super enthusiastic about the fact that there are still people interested in the whole — you know, me. The whole HIM and the VV thing, and I'm able to spread the word, which hopefully means that people will come over and see us play live and listen to the music as well, and know when it's out and all that good stuff. But, yeah, I'm singing and taking long walks on the beach and all sorts of normal things. We're rehearsing — there's a new band for the tour, so we're rehearsing back home in Helsinki and putting together the setlist, which will be 50-50 new stuff and HIM. So we're picking out the right songs and the right song orders and arranging them so they [flow well] together."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Neon Noir", Ville told Kerrang! magazine: "I wouldn't call it 'suicidal', but most of the stuff was written during the pandemic, and there weren't many rays of sun hitting me. Everybody was in the mental gutter. Times were tough. This album was the kind of like the lifebuoy for me. It gave me a reason to wake up every morning and work on something else and try to shut the world outside. When I was working on the music, maybe it was selfish to a certain extent, but also it was a matter of survival."

He added: "It seems that mankind needs a bit of a breather from all this shit, myself included. So I tried to put all that frustration onto paper. And if it's love and darkness, and all sorts of things like that, that's probably because it's my vocabulary. Hopefully, the words have been rearranged in a fresh order this time around. But me trying to do something completely different, just because, that doesn't make any sense to me at all."

When HIM announced its farewell tour more than five years ago, Ville explained to Kerrang! magazine why the band decided to call it a day. "We were tired of the same shit," he said. "When you've done it for a long time, at some point it doesn't taste good anymore. We started working on some stuff, it didn't sound good enough, and we didn't get the teenage buzz you're supposed get."

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

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

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

Photo credit: Juha Mustonen

Progressive / psychedelic metal quartet Mythosphere - featuring past and present members of Pale Divine, Beezlefuzz and Fates Warning - have released a lyric video for "For No Other Eye", a track from their debut album, Pathological.


Pathological was released November 18, 2022 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats via Cruz Del Sur Music. The album can be streamed in its entirety at this location.







On their Pathological debut album, Mythosphere re-ignites the flame of classic, emotional metal with eight songs of depth, introspection and harmony. 


Separately, Dana Ortt, Darin McCloskey, Ron McGinnis and Victor Arduini have been involved in several American doom and epic metal touchstones. Their reputations are built upon their recorded work and live prowess, where metal is at its organic best. While Ortt, McCloskey and McGinnis have been dedicated to Pale Divine and former Fates Warning guitarist Arduini stays busy with a variety of projects, the opportunity to launch an entirely new band with Mythosphere proved too much to resist.  


Rewind to 2020. Ortt (guitar/vocals) and McCloskey (drums) decided to kick the tires on some ideas meant to go beyond their other priority band, Beezlefuzz. The songs showed promise, but the pair felt something else was needed — enter former Fates Warning guitarist Arduini, who was brought on board to add solos, soundscapes and creative flourishes. McGinnis completed the quartet and Mythosphere (“the sacred narrative that permeates human life”) was born in 2021. 


It was a winding course their Pathological debut album chartered from when Ortt and McCloskey first assembled ideas. Piece by piece, the members added new layers of depth to a style that blends true, vintage doom with progressive rock before they entered Tiny Castle Recording Studio with engineer Noel Muller. (Arthur Rizk of Cavalera Conspiracy, Eternal Champion, Kreator and Sonja fame mastered the album.) Indeed, the regular overlay of acoustic guitars and bounty of striking melodies gives Pathological its remarkable, haunting intrigue. It is a body of work that regularly challenges and comforts the listener, particularly from Ortt’s plaintive vocals and Arduini’s acoustic textures and lead playing. 


According to Ortt, the Pathological title track is about “questioning ourselves and surroundings, to be aware and vigilant when we become devoted to a belief, cause, community to the extreme of the suspension of disbelief and critical thinking — and also to avoid isolation and disconnection.” It intertwines with somber topics that address loss and isolation, but with the intention of good faith, based on improving interactions, understanding and empathy toward others. Ortt notes that many of the lyrics feature themes of “having beliefs challenged and the choices to be made when new information comes to light, then questioning and letting go of those beliefs that by design may be limiting and restricting to keep us confined into certain roles.”


The words “realized,” “grateful” and “enjoyable” are offered by the members of Mythosphere when discussing their newfound union and Pathological. They are fitting because Mythosphere is one of the few new bands with a legacy background that fulfill lofty expectations — and goes beyond. The members have already promised to continue their creative partnership. Pathological is just the first step on what should be a wondrous journey.





Tracklisting:


"Ashen Throne"
"King’s Call To Arms" 
"For No Other Eye" 
"Pathological" 
"Walk In Darkness"
"Star Crossed"
"No Halo"
"Through The Night"


"Pathological" video:





"King’s Call To Arms" lyric video:





(Photo credit: Shane Gardner)


 

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast, former NIGHTWISH vocalist Tarja Turunen was asked if she has ever had any interactions with current NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are in touch, and recently more, because she came up with the really horrible news of being sick. [Editor's note: Jansen recently revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.] So I've been in touch with her. But ever since she joined NIGHTWISH, I was there for her. So it's, like, I don't have any… Actually, I hope she's fine and everything is great with her and she's happy. That's what I wish. Now and then when I am in Netherlands, if I have concerts in Netherlands, she's poking by and so on and so on. It's really, really nice.

"In general, hey, I feel in metal, we are sisters in metal — we all are like sisters in metal," she continued. "We actually do support each other, all of us.

"When I started in metal, I felt a little lonely, because there were not too many girls around in the festivals I went; I was mainly the only girl all around," Tarja revealed. "And nowadays it's so incredible to see so many female vocalists. They approach me — if I do not recognize them, they approach me — they come and talk. And it's really lovely. We have this really beautiful connection and a lot to share. And that is also… I really enjoy it so much nowadays. It has changed a lot."

In December 2020, Turunen took part in an Instagram Live chat with Jansen. You can watch the entire 48-minute discussion below.

Turunen and Jansen previously performed a duet together at the 2013 edition of the Metal Female Voices Fest at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium. The women joined forces on a cover version of "Over The Hills And Far Away", originally written and recorded by the Northern Irish singer and guitarist Gary Moore and previously covered by NIGHTWISH on the 2001 EP of the same name.

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013 and made her recording debut with the group on 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album.

NIGHTWISH's ninth studio album, "Human. :II: Nature." , was released in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The effort is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.

In 2019, Turunen dismissed Internet chatter about her possible return to NIGHTWISH after her December 2017 onstage reunion with the band's then-bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala during a "Raskasta Joulua" concert in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

"I know a lot of fans would love to see something happen, but it's a very long distance away," she told Kerrang! magazine. "Personally, I don't see anything happening with me and them, to be perfectly honest. Marco came a little later into the band; he wasn't there since the beginning. He was always a guy I was close to. Me and [NIGHTWISH keyboardist/leader] Tuomas Holopainen, however, haven't seen each other in a long time… but we have been in touch. It's not bad. The past is what it is; we can't change that. We can only change the future."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she said.

Tarja will release a new collection, "Best Of: Living The Dream", on December 2 via earMUSIC.

TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon has released the official music video for his new instrumental song "Octopus". "Octopus" is a jazz rock fusion instrumental song that features Hannon improvising spontaneous jazz-inspired bass lines to start, then he incorporates his experience as a producer/recording artist to perform by overdubbing piano, organ, drums and ultimately a blistering electric guitar solo to create a unique mix of rock, jazz and fusion music.

Known primarily as a founding member of the multi-platinum rock band TESLA, Hannon is also a multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording engineer who has produced many younger up-and-coming artists as well as TESLA singles and diverse solo albums.

Hannon states: "I have a very eclectic taste for different styles of music and I started learning to play the organ at five years old with my grandmother, then drums at 10 before falling in love with guitar at 12 years old in 1978. At 15 years old, I got a four-track recorder tape machine and learned that if you want to record well, it's important to understand the role of bass guitar and how all the instruments fit together in recordings. I used a four-track cassette machine to learn how to record overdubs. Since then, I've built studios over the years to record bands and albums.

"This new 'Octopus' song is a sample of my love of the art of recording and capturing 'improvisation' as a way to create interesting music as a solo artist. I couldn't think of a title for it until I saw the movie 'My Octopus Teacher' which made me fall in love with the extreme intelligence and diversity of the amazing animal known as the octopus."

Be sure to visit www.frankhannon.com for limited "Octopus" merchandise and gift box ideas in time for Christmas.

Next year, TESLA will return to Las Vegas for a special five-night residency, in celebration of their 36 years of entertaining rock audiences around the world. "TESLA: The Las Vegas Residency" will kick off Friday, March 17, 2023 inside House Of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the famed Las Vegas Strip.

In September 2021, drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He is being temporarily replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

In August, TESLA released the official music video for the band's new single, "Time To Rock!". The track arrived five months after TESLA released the official lyric video for the 2021 standalone single "Cold Blue Steel".

Originally released in August 2021, "Cold Blue Steel" was the first TESLA song to ever be produced by the bandmembers themselves.

Mike Mushok has confirmed to the "Talk Toomey" podcast that STAIND is completing a new studio LP for a 2023 release. Speaking about the band's plans for the coming months, the guitarist said: "STAIND is finishing up an album, actually. That'll be out next year. And I think there's some shows that'll be next year as well. So we're kind of juggling all of that."

This past September, Mushok told Atlantic City Weekly that both he and STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis will continue to pursue other projects — Mushok with SAINT ASONIA, the band he co-founded in 2015 with former THREE DAYS GRACE singer Adam Gontier, and Lewis with his country solo career — alongside their long-running outfit.

"Aaron's built up a great following and great career that he'll fully pursue," Mushok said. "If we can do some STAIND shows in there, it would be great. If we can find a week here or there or maybe a tour every now and then, I'd be cool with that. Like we are looking to do a [STAIND] record, so we'll see how much we do to promote that. Honestly, I'm kind of taking it as it comes, one day at a time. It's hard to plan, you know what I mean. Who would have thought the world would shut down? So you've got to take it as it comes."

In September, STAIND completed a short U.S. tour.

Last year, STAIND supported KORN on a U.S. run of dates.

The band was scheduled to support DISTURBED on "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" throughout North America last year, but the amphitheater trek was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

In June 2021, Mushok told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that he and his bandmates were working on their first studio album since 2011's self-titled effort. "There's a bunch of [new] songs kicking around," he said. "It's just kind of [a matter of] sorting through that stuff and seeing what, if anything, we like, and figuring out… I imagine, having not put out a real record of new music in 10 years, we're gonna be pretty critical of what it is and wanna make sure that it's great. But, yes, there is talk of that. We actually signed a record deal and have a deal to do a new record."

In March 2021, Lewis told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he "would certainly love to" have the new STAIND album released in the not-too-distant future. "All of our plans that were kind of semi on the books and on the table, everything just had a year taken off of it [due to the pandemic]," he said at the time. "We were gonna have a record come out sometime in 2020 or certainly in 2021, and there was a schedule that was on the table that, just like everything else, got burned to the ground as soon as [the lockdown] started."

STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents. The series launched with STAIND's "Live: It's Been Awhile (From Foxwoods)" concert, which streamed globally on May 1, 2021. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album and concert were recorded at the band's comeback show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut in October 2019. The never-before-seen concert celebrated the band's reunion after a five-year hiatus. STAIND also performed its iconic multi-platinum 2001 album "Break The Cycle" in its entirety for a May 8, 2021 streaming event, exactly 20 years after the album's release. The "20th Anniversary Of Break The Cycle, Performed In Its Entirety" took place at Mill 1 in Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, bringing the band back to their Western Mass roots.

STAIND played its first full live show in five years in September 2019 at the Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bass player James LoMenzo spoke to Ashdown Engineering about how he ended up returning to MEGADETH as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and stepped back in as a touring member for the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". In May 2022, it was announced that Lomenzo was officially rejoining the MEGADETH family.

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

Reflecting on his departure from MEGADETH, LoMenzo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "After three or four years in MEGADETH, David Ellefson returned. And I, like you, was pretty excited about that, because I had always been a fan of MEGADETH anyway. I'm one of those crazy guys that's, like, I want it to be the original band. I always want it to be the original band; it's kind of the way I grew up. But in lieu of that, I had to take the charge of the bass spot when he couldn't be there. So when he came back, I was fine with it. I've done two great albums — 'United Abominations' and 'Endgame'; we've done two world tours, been all over the place. And so at that point, I was kind of excited to maybe try something new. And so I went back home. I started a video production company. I started doing these local jams where all my famous friends would come by and jam with me. It was great. And eventually I ended up in [rock legend] John Fogerty's band."

On the topic of how he rejoined MEGADETH, James said: "How do I end up back in MEGADETH? It's like that 'Godfather' movie — 'Just when I thought I got out, they pull me back in again.' No… But anyway… When they needed a bass player — it became apparent — I thought to myself, 'They'll probably call me up.' But I also thought to myself, 'It's been a while since I played that kind of music, so maybe it'll be great. It'll be all right. Maybe not.' Sure enough, the phone rings, and Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] is, like, 'We've gotta do this 'Metal Tour Of The Year'. James, I know you're the guy who can do it. I would love to have you here. If you would just commit to just doing this tour, that would be great.' And I thought, 'Well, that's kind of weird. He doesn't want me to rejoin the band.' But then I thought about it. He knew I had another band, and he was telling me, 'I don't want you to screw up whatever you've got going.' I was being loyal to John. So we went out on the tour, and gosh, it was just the best time. I was so enamored with the band that he put together and with Kiko [Loureiro, guitar] and with Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] that I was blown away. And Dave, gosh, he's just delivering the goods every day. The great thing about Dave is he's been through a lot. He recovered from cancer. He's had problems with his back. Over the years, he's had more things than most professional wrestlers would have, and he shows no sign of it — he just gets up there and plays and just gives it his all. So after that tour, I was sitting there going, 'Man, I think I might like to stay here for a while.' And so, luckily, as luck would have it, not too long after that, Dave calls me up at home and he goes, 'You know, we would love to have you be part of the band officially if you wanna stay.' And I thought, 'That's exactly what I was thinking, man. Let's do it.'

"So, anyway, [I am now] back in MEGADETH," James added. "Back out on the road. The newest album is 'The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!' We have been touring that one. We just started this year, and we show no signs of stopping. We're coming to you, kids."

In addition to MEGADETH and Fogerty, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION.

LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years in August 2021 in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.

During an appearance on a March 2022 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Mustaine discussed MEGADETH's reunion with LoMenzo, saying: "I'm thrilled. I think he's a really awesome person to have in MEGADETH. He was when we tried it the first time. And for whatever reason that things happen, things happened and we took a little sabbatical from playing [together]. And when things happened as they did, it was obvious to me that I needed to get a super kickass bass player to come in and cut all the tracks and learn 'em in relatively no time, because we were in the studio already, so I needed to get somebody that could really do all that stuff. And I hadn't made up my mind on James yet. So I ended up asking a super, super legendary bass player in the metal community, Steve DiGiorgio. I asked him if he would come in and guest on the [upcoming MEGADETH] record and help me to finish the record and cut bass parts. So he came out, and that was really wonderful to hear his interpretation of my songs and the stuff that Kiko and Dirk and I, the stuff that we're starting to write together; we're starting to really develop our chemistry."

Image courtesy of Ashdown Engineering

The four albums that made DOKKEN one of the 1980s' top rock bands are now being collected together as a box set (available in LP or CD formats) from BMG, "The Elektra Albums 1983-1987".

Due on January 27, 2023, the limited-edition set will include DOKKEN's million-selling, worldwide-charting first four studio albums ("Breaking The Chains", "Tooth And Nail", "Under Lock And Key" and "Back For The Attack") as a either a five-LP or five-CD set.

All of the albums feature the classic lineup of Don Dokken (vocals),George Lynch (guitar),Jeff Pilson (bass),and "Wild" Mick Brown (drums),and all have been newly remastered by Andy Pearce (BLACK SABBATH, MOTÖRHEAD). Additionally, the LP box features 180g black vinyl.

Hailing from Los Angeles, DOKKEN released a string of platinum albums throughout the 1980s, and toured the globe with the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal, including VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH, METALLICA, SCORPIONS and KISS. The band had several hit singles on the Mainstream Rock and Billboard Hot 100 charts, and were all over MTV with their videos for "Breaking The Chains", "Alone Again", "Into The Fire", "In My Dreams", "It's Not Love", "Burning Like A Flame" and especially the theme from "Nightmare On Elm Street 3", "Dream Warriors", where the DOKKEN members starred alongside Freddy Krueger.

In October 2016, the classic lineup of DOKKEN — Don, George, Jeff and Mick — reunited to play the Loud Park festival in Japan. Fortunately for fans outside of Japan, cameras were there to capture the performance and Frontiers Music Srl issued "Return To The East Live 2016" in April 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set featured footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The package also included a new song called "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife", and two acoustic re-workings of classic tracks.

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

DOKKEN recently finished recording a new studio album, tentatively due next year via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. It will mark the group's first disc since 2012's "Broken Bones".

JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon says that he had "no choice" but to file a lawsuit against the band's keyboardist Jonathan Cain over allegations that Cain is blocking access to "critical" financial records.

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

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," he added, referencing the limited-liability company Cain and Schon established in 1998 to handle JOURNEY's business dealings, with shared 50/50 ownership.

"There's much more … since I filed I'll be following my attorneys advice and not speak until we are in court where I'll not have a problem at all. It is what it is."

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".

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.

The filing says: "Schon has tried to avoid legal action, repeatedly requesting that Cain grant him access to the AMEX account. For many months, Cain and his representatives have represented that Schon would be granted access. But every time Schon contacted AMEX, AMEX informed him that he was still not authorized to access AMEX account records."

"As a member and manager and founder and leader of JOURNEY, Schon has the right to access and control Nomota's books and records," the documents say, referencing the limited-liability company Cain and Schon established in 1998 to handle JOURNEY's business dealings, with shared 50/50 ownership. "Schon must have unfettered access to Nomota's records so he can oversee and manage Nomota/JOURNEY."

The JOURNEY founder claims that, despite many requests for Cain to turn over key records, Cain has kept him in the dark about their finances.

"Nomota's records also contain financial information necessary for Schon and his representatives to determine the proportion of JOURNEY's profits that he's entitled to as the founder and president of JOURNEY," the suit states.

"Schon's right to JOURNEY's profits is being controlled by Cain — Schon's bandmate, who Schon brought into the band in the 1980s — and despite all of his requests and efforts, Schon has been unable to get full access."

The suit continues: "Among other things, the American Express account of Nomota has been set up such that only Cain has control of the account and access to its records. On information and belief, millions in JOURNEY funds have flowed through this AMEX account."

The filing adds: "Cain is interfering with JOURNEY, refusing to respond to booking opportunities, blocking payment to band members, crew and vendors, refusing to execute necessary operating documents, and in other ways as well. Cain has obstructed Schon from viewing expenses incurred by Cain and his touring party on band tours.

"Cain has further refused to deal with critical, time-sensitive touring contracts for JOURNEY's 2023 tour and ensure payment for band members and crew, who Cain contends are 'non-essential,.' Schon believes those band and crew who are crucial to the band's success should be paid. Cain's conduct is inexplicable."

Back in 2017, Schon and Cain feuded publicly on social media after Cain, singer Arnel Pineda and then-bassist Ross 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.

Schon and Cain, through their company Freedom JN LLC, own the trademark registrations to many of JOURNEY's biggest hits, covering the use of the names on T-shirts, hoodies and other forms of apparel, making it easier for the band to sue someone selling those items. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the registrations between February and May.

In his petition, Perry claimed the trio had an agreement that required unanimous consent for any business decision related to the trademarks and that he had not authorized said consent. He also accuses Schon and Cain of "fraud on the trademark office" by what he claims is inaccurate information about the trademark.

Three and a half years ago, Schon and Cain were embroiled in a legal dispute with former JOURNEY drummer Steve Smith and Valory. On March 3, 2020, Schon and Cain filed a lawsuit against Valory and Smith, who had been members of JOURNEY on and off since the band formed in 1973, claiming the two attempted a "coup" in order to gain control of the JOURNEY trademark. The suit, which sought more than $10 million in damages, accused Smith and Valory of holding an "improper" shareholder and board of directors meetings in February 2020 during which they ousted Cain and Schon from leadership posts at Nightmare Productions under the "incorrect" assumption that the company held the rights to the JOURNEY name. An answer filed by counsel defending Valory against the complaint's allegations and the cross-complaint attempted to dispute and refute these allegations. 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.

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...

Posted by Neal Schon on Monday, November 21, 2022

Eight-year-old Caleb Hayes joined EVANESCENCE on stage during the band's soundcheck last Thursday (November 17) at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, United Kingdom to play the song "Take Cover". Video of the performance can be seen below.

A couple of days later, EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt shared several Instagram photos of Caleb with members of the band, and he included the following message: "What an incredible experience meeting this amazing young man and his family (he just turned 8!!).

"@calebhdrummer4 came with his parents and his awesome sister Isabella to our show in Glasgow at The Hydro. I've seen Caleb do a drum cover of our song Take Cover on Instagram. So, when he and the fam came for soundcheck we asked if he would like to play the song with us- and with absolutely ZERO fear or trepidation he smiled real big, shook his head, and said YES!! He absolutely KILLED it, and with his smile and playing proceeded to put smiles on everyone's faces in the entire arena. His smile and joy when he plays are infectious and reminds me why I started playing in the first place.

"Thank you Caleb!! Keep rippin' and I look forward to seeing you again soon!!!"

In a message accompanying the YouTube video of Caleb's performance, his parents wrote: "Caleb had his mind absolutely BLOWN when he was invited to play Take Cover with EVANESCENCE in soundcheck! He wasn't expecting it & even though Will's Monster kit is huge in comparison to Caleb (4ft tall) he was still determined to crush it & give it his all!

"Thank you Will for making this happen. Precious memories with an absolutely Awesome band".

Counting Hunt, Joey Jordison, Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins as "early" influences, Caleb's love for music, and heavy metal in particular, likely came from watching his parents play in a local cover band, where they recreated hits from AC/DC, LED ZEPPELIN and METALLICA around their native Cumbria, England. He told SPIN: "I used to watch my Mum and Dad at their band practice when I was little, I wanted to jump on the drum kit and play, they used to let me watch them and then play at the end. They've always let me make lots of noise with my drums in the house, even at 6:00 in the morning." He added that playing drums gives him "good vibes. I feel so happy and excited, my heart goes boom-boom-boom sometimes," he said.

This past March, when he was just seven, Caleb was a guest on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" where he performed a cover of SLIPKNOT's "Sulfur".

"I've been drumming since I was two years old," he told host Ellen DeGeneres. "My dad [played drums]. He taught me a little bit but not everything."

Regarding his passion for heavy metal music, he said: "I listened to some heavy metal music and I just got into it all. I went, like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna listen to this all the time.'" He added that his "number one" favorite band is SLIPKNOT.

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A post shared by Will Hunt (@willhuntofficial)

In a new interview with ARTE Concert, BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski spoke about how the advent of social media the existence of "cancel culture" has made it more difficult for new artists to be creative and stand out in an increasingly crowded field. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "On many occasions these days, I'm just confused; I just can't catch up. I'm now new generation, and I'm confused. And trust me, if I was a kid, I would hate to be in a situation to, let's say, start a band these days. Knowing what I've been through and knowing what it takes to maintain these days, to come out, to stand out, I don't think I would ever sign up for forming a new anonymous band these days. No fucking way. These days you can't even fucking show attitude because they're gonna fucking ban you right away. Start swearing, start making political opinions, start saying what you really like, what you dislike, and immediately they're gonna fucking cancel you.

"I'm just gonna ask that question, and you're gonna answer yourself, all of you out there," he continued. "Imagine that in the '60s and '70s, when all the classics started — I'm talking Elvis Presley, fucking Janis Joplin, THE WHO, Miles Davis, THE DOORS, THE BEATLES — imagine there were smartphones. Banned. No career. No career. Fucking banned. Arrested — for everything. None of them survives a week.

"So it almost feels like it's not really the music that is important anymore; it's the format. It's the content. How am I supposed to expect a random kid to process an eight-minute-long video with attention when all they get used to is fucking scrolling 15 seconds on TikTok or Instagram. The scroll is just 15 seconds, 15 seconds, 15 seconds — that's the new standards that we are accommodating to.

"I know I do sound very accusive, but I know what I'm talking about, because I get those symptoms as well," Nergal admitted. "I click on something and immediately I just [click away], or I'm bored, bored, bored… It's narcotic. It's a drug.

"I'm really talking from a hammer-and-the-anvil prospect that I'm in. I'm aware of that, but then, at the same time, I'm a victim of that. I like to say that I'm an analog man in a digital world. And I still didn't figure out how to do it in a healthy way, unfortunately."

BEHEMOTH's 12th studio album, "Opvs Contra Natvram", arrived in September.

Kansas City thrashers Hellevate will kick off 2023 with the release of The Purpose Is Cruelty, on January 14th. The band’s newest EP features five aggressive tracks of classic speed / thrash metal with a modern attack. 


The band has is offering the first taste of The Purpose Is Cruelty in the form of a lyric video for the album’s title track. Guitarist Joshua Cole comments. “'The Purpose Is Cruelty' is a song we've been working on and playing live for a while. A lot of our songs can get pretty elaborate and intensive musically, and it felt like a good change of pace to strip it back a bit. Take more of a sledgehammer approach for a song, ya know? Necessarily we needed an equally vicious vocal approach. The lyrics are about the inherent cruelty built into society and leadership; the way so many seem to enjoy inflicting pain on others. Rob [Browne, vocals] does a fantastic job bringing the venom! This is just a taste of what's on the EP, and we know you'll like the rest of what we have in store!”







The Purpose Is Cruelty artwork and tracklisting:





"The Purpose Is Cruelty"
"Dagon"
"Buried Under Mistakes"
"Die Or Be Killed"
"(No) Further Action Is Required"


For further details, visit Hellevate on Facebook.


 

DEF LEPPARD has released the official live video for the song "Kick". The clip, which was during the band's summer 2022 "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, can be seen below.

"Kick" was the first single from DEF LEPPARD's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", which arrived in May via UMe.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, who came up with "Kick" as an additional track after the first 14 songs were already completed, told Billboard that "'Kick' represented where we were at as well. It's got that glam rock feel, that hand-clap groove, big vocals. It was just a no-brainer. It was not only that it's got to be on the album, it's got to be the first single as well."

"It's a stadium anthem, and we were about to go into stadiums," singer Joe Elliott said. "We didn't write it for that reason, but Phil's always trying to write the next 'Sugar' or 'We Will Rock You' or 'I Love Rock 'N' Roll'. We all are, but he actually came up with one, and it's, like, 'Yeah, we've got to do that,' so now it's a 15-song record."

"Kick" thrusts into an anthemic stadium-ready frenzy kickstarted with driving guitars and bombastic drums woven into its musical fabric. Meanwhile, the chorus has all the makings of another iconic LEPPARD hit with its skyscraping vocals and melodies the band has become synonymous for.

Over the past two years, DEF LEPPARD recorded "Diamond Star Halos" simultaneously in three different countries with Elliott in Ireland, Rick Savage (bass) in England, and Collen, Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) in the United States. Without the pressure of timelines or a fixed schedule, they poured all of their energy into crafting 15 meaningful tracks with a mixture of classic spirit meets modern fire. Thematically, they nodded to their earliest collective influences such as David Bowie, T.REX and MOTT THE HOOPLE, among others. The title itself notably references T.REX's "Bang a Gong (Get It On)". However, they didn't embark on this journey alone. The multi-Grammy Award-winning and legendary artist Alison Krauss lent her instantly recognizable and angelic voice to "This Guitar" and "Lifeless", while David Bowie pianist Mike Garson performs on "Goodbye For Good This Time" and "Angels (Can't Help You Now)".

"The Stadium Tour" was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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

"I'm A Bitch", новое видео группы LEAGUE OF DISTORTION, в состав которой входят Anna Brunner (EXIT EDEN) и Jim Müller (KISSIN’ DYNAMITE), доступно для просмотра ниже. Этот трек взят из дебютного альбома "League Of Distortion", выход которого намечен на 25 ноября на Napalm Records.

Трек-лист:

"Wolf Or Lamb"
"My Revenge"
"It Hurts So Good" (feat. Annisokay)
"L.O.D."
"I'm A Bitch"
"Rebel By Choice"
"Solitary Confinement"
"SIN"
"The Bitter End"
"Do You Really Think I Fuckin' Care"

American “bluesy groove rock band” Voodoo Moonshine has just shared the official video for "What A Way To Go", from their 2022 album, Bottom Of The Barrel.





Bottom Of The Barrel artwork and tracklisting:







Tracklisting:


"Locked And Loaded"
"Give It To Me"
"Bring It Down"
"Round And Round"
"Sometimes You Just Wanna"
"What A Way To Go"
"Swallow My Pride"
"Eden In Your Eyes"
"Rise Free"
"Y’all Come Back Soon"
"Eden In Your Eyes" (Acoustic Version)


"Give It To Me" video:





"Bring It Down" video:





Voodoo Moonshine lineup:


Pedro Espada - vocals
Jeff Losawyer - guitar
Hector Acevedo - bass
Eddie Cruise - drums


 

Sid Falck had released the new song, "Legacy Of Blood", featuring very special guest, former Overkill bandmate, Rob Cannavino.


Falck explains: “Rob and I were very close friends during our time together in Overkill. We were, and still are, brothers of the mind for sure, and I have always held his talent at the highest possible respect. After being lucky enough to have Dave Linsk lend his lead skills to Rage, I was wondering if I could talk Rob into doing something with me, in this silly little thing called Falck. While we have stayed in touch, especially since 2007, the idea of doing something together again musically, has never come up for some reason. Actually, I wasn’t even too sure if he still played, I just kind of assumed that with his talent, surely, he still picks up the guitar from time to time. So, I texted him and asked him, and as they say, the rest is history. It has been an absolute honor, pleasure and a lot of laughs, creating together again. Each updated solo he sent, just made me marvel more than the previous one. His feel is so distinctive, and both tasty and brutal at the same time. For this collaboration, Rob supplied both leads... and I don’t know if there a “hint” in that statement hahaha. I do know we had a lot of fun, and it brought back so many memories.”


Rob's tracks were recorded at Murfsound Studio, Pine City, NY, with Patrick Murphy engineering.




Due to the subject matter, the original accompanying video was restricted to 18+ only by YouTube. That means that you have to be 18+; have a free YouTube account; and be logged in, to watch the video.


Therefore, a second “All Ages” video was also created. Watch below.


"Legacy Of Blood" can be downloaded here for “set your own price”, making it a free download, should you so choose. Also available on all streaming platforms.

Texas trio, Turbid North, have released a music video for their new single, "Slaves", featured on the band's upcoming new album, The Decline, out January 20. Pre-order the album here.


The "Slaves" music video offers bleak images of a dystopian future, finally giving way to a glorious finalé in its last moments. Turbid North frontman Nick Forkel, who also created the video, states: "'Slaves' is about being a prisoner of your own mind. We all create battles in our heads. The video is a direct homage to Blade Runner’s opening scene. That’s the vibe I was going for: Blade Runner meets Metropolis."


Watch the video below.




Set within a sci-fi world, The Decline is rooted in real life struggles. Forkel describes the concept: "It's all part of one story. It's a collection of songs that delves into the downfall and self-destruction of a person. I went through some personal things that spawned this idea. Real experiences influenced these songs, lyrically and musically. It's darker and more personal for me than any other Turbid North record."


Turbid North's first new release in seven years, The Decline is a stunner of a comeback from this Alaska-born, Texas-based band. Vocalist/guitarist Forkel and the monstrous rhythm section of bassist Chris O'Toole (Unearth) and drummer Jono Garrett (Shock Withdrawal, Mos Generator) have honed their craft and delivered a new, transcendent piece of work that will go down as one of the crucial metal albums of 2023.





Tracklisting:


"Eternal Dying"
"The Oppressor"
"Slaves"
"Life Over Death"
"Patients"
"Drown in Agony"
"The Old Ones"
"The Road"
"A Dying Earth"
"Time"


"Slaves" video:





"The Old Ones" video:





Lineup:


Nick Forkel - guitar, vocals, synth
Chris O'Toole - bass, vocals
Jono Garrett - drums


(Photo - Nick Forkel)

The Dogs are finally back in town. The Winery Dogs, that is!


It’s been, well, a literal dog’s age since the vibrant powerhouse trio known as The Winery Dogs - Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy, and Billy Sheehan - marked their recording territory with new music. But now, following a seven-year break from the studio, The Winery Dogs are back in full force with their aptly named third album III, which is set for release on February 3 on the band’s Three Dog Music label (via Burnside Distribution/The Orchard). Following in the footsteps of their first two albums, III was once again self-produced by The Winery Dogs and mixed by longtime band associate Jay Ruston.


Pre-orders will be available starting Friday, December 9 on CD and all digital formats, which include an instant download of the album’s first song to be released, “Xanadu”. A vinyl edition of III will also be forthcoming in just a few months.




While the all-out smokin’ opening track and lead single “Xanadu,” title might evoke different imagery in more progressive-leaning listening circles, Kotzen’s zen-seeking, hard-rocking ruminations on “Xanadu” once again shine a light on the eternal power of good collaboration. “Coming out of the gates, that’s a barnburner,” acknowledges Portnoy. “It’s one of the fiercest tracks on the album.” Incidentally, eagle ears will also delight in picking up on how definitively Portnoy drops his drumsticks right as the song concludes. “At the end there, you’re hearing me toss my sticks — not in frustration, but very much in satisfaction of what we had just done,” he clarifies with a laugh.


In addition to the new music, fans will also be excited to hear that the trio is hitting the worldwide concert trail starting February 15 in Greensburg, PA at the Palace Theatre for their “202III World Tour.” Ticket and VIP package info can be found on the band’s official website.


From the clarion call for connection and societal understanding in “Mad World” to the door-opening personal realizations of “Breakthrough” to the undeniable muscle-flexing reign of the white-hot “Pharaoh” and the album-closing energy spillage of “The Red Wine,” all 50-plus minutes of III prove The Winery Dogs haven’t lost a step when it comes to conjuring fresh hooks, gutbucket grooves, and bold harmonies.


That said, it’s been a long road back to the collective compound for guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen, bassist/vocalist Billy Sheehan, and drummer/vocalist Mike Portnoy. Back in 2015-16, they hit the road hard together to showcase their mettle as hardcore (you guessed it) road dogs in order to build upon the success of their well-received 2015 sophomore studio effort, Hot Streak, by touring all across the globe. Eventually, the seasoned trio returned to their respective corners to focus on various other projects for the ensuing next few years. But when that live itch needed another scratching, these three working musicians knew just what they had to do.


“We wanted to tour,” Kotzen confirms succinctly of The Winery Dogs’ 22-date run in early 2019 that was appropriately dubbed “Who Let The Dogs Out,” before adding, “We had to get those cylinders firing together once again.” Concurs Portnoy, “That was a fun little tour that reignited our enthusiasm — and that’s also when we knew a third album was definitely in the cards.” Adds Sheehan, “Getting back together like that was really refreshing. We could relax a bit and enjoy being together onstage, playing without any pressure. It was a beautiful thing.”


Duly reinvigorated, The Winery Dogs were finally aligned to record again by initially ensconcing themselves together in Kotzen’s intimate, cozy home studio in Southern California to jam on new material that was mainly created in the moment during many hours of face-to-face musical interaction. Always the driven and intuitive songwriter, Kotzen displays a definitive M.O. whenever he’s working out new songs in the studio by scatting melodies and putting forth short bursts of semi-improvised lines and phrases that will soon enough transform into sharply honed subject matter. “My attitude is this:  when I'm in the studio creating new music, the last thing on my mind is, ‘How am I gonna do it live?’” Kotzen admits. “The reality is, I may never get to where I'll do it live. What's relevant is getting the vision that's in my head, in my heart, and in my soul to come out of the speakers. If it gets to the point where the tour is booked, the dates are confirmed, and we all get back in the rehearsal room together, that's when you figure out, ‘OK, how do I interpret this in a way it can be delivered live, and still be the same song?’”


III is the follow-up to the band’s critically acclaimed and Billboard-charting album, Hot Streak, which was released October 2, 2015 on Loud & Proud Records via RED (a division of Sony Music Entertainment). After landing in the Top Five on many of Amazon’s pre-order charts, including #1 on the Amazon BestSellers/Hard Rock chart and #1 on the Amazon Pre-Orders/Hard Rock Albums charts, it sold 30% more than their 2013 self-titled debut, landing them on various Billboard album charts including #2 on “Top Current Alternative Albums,” #5 on “Top Current Hard Music” and “Top Hard Music Albums,” #6 on “Top Current Rock Albums” and “Album Core / Genre Rock,” #15 “Top Current Physical Albums,” #16 “Top Current Albums,” and  #30 on the “Top 200 Albums” chart.


Upon its release, Hot Streak racked up rave reviews. Allmusic.com hailed, “Hot Streak is the trio’s second album, and its loose, friendly feel shows that the trio doesn’t feel compelled to rely on instrumental pyrotechnics. The bluesy, soulful ‘Think it Over’ would appeal to those who admire the Allman Brothers, while ‘Captain Love’ shows that the band also has some hard rock energy to unleash, and the title track lets fly some of the technical proficiency that its members are known for.” And GuitarInternational.com praised, “Hot Streak picks up where their debut CD left off, but showcases the band coming into their own with straight-ahead rockers like ‘Oblivion,’ ‘Captain Love,’ and ‘Devil You Know.’”





III tracklisting:


"Xanadu
"Mad World
"Breakthrough
"Rise
"Stars
"The Vengeance
"Pharaoh
"Gaslight
"Lorelei
"The Red Wine"


Check out The Winery Dogs at any of the following tour stops, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.





February
15 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
16 - Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn’s Peak
17 - Glenside, PA - The Keswick Theatre
18 - Patchogue, NY - Patchogue Theatre
21 - New York, NY - Sony Hall
22 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
23 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
25 - Ridgefield, CT - The Ridgefield Playhouse
26 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall


March
1 - Columbus, OH - King of Clubs
2 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
5 - Green Bay, WI - Epic Event Center
6 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
9 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
10 - St. Charles, IL - The Arcada Theatre
11 - Westland, MI - The Token Lounge
13 - Grand Rapids, MI - DeVos Hall
14 - Harrison, OH - Blue Note
17 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
18 - Cedar Park, TX - The Haute Spot
19 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Ballroom
21 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
22 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
24 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
25 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
26 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live
30 - Virginia Beach, VA - Elevation 27
31 - Hopewell, VA - Hopewell Theatre


April
1 - Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho Theatre
2 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
4 - Ashville, NC - Orange Peel
5 - Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine
6 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
27 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Vivo Rio (with Stone Temple Pilots)
28 - Curitiba, Brazil - Tork n Roll (with Skid Row)
30 - São Paulo, Brazil - Summer Breeze Festival

QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre spoke to Metallerium about the fact that some of today's biggest pop artists have managed to become famous without playing a single live show and never had to slog it out in the clubs touring in a van. "I think everybody's trying to get famous quick and they're not putting in the work," he said. "I was growing up in bands playing in nightclubs my whole life. And I think people think they're gonna be an instant star because of YouTube. Or they're very famous on YouTube but they've never played in an actual nightclub and built it up that way. Everybody's trying to build it up kind of artificially through social media. But they might have a million followers on YouTube or subscribers, but if they were trying to sell tickets in any city around the United States, maybe they wouldn't sell a hundred tickets a night. It doesn't translate the same. It's easy to click 'subscribe.' It takes effort and dedication to pay money for a ticket and go see somebody.

"Everyone's looking for that quick fame the easy way," Todd continued. "Even if they put a lot of work into practice, that's great. There's a lot of singers online that sound awesome, but they've never toured; they've never dealt with the brutal travel schedule and the demands of performing live. These guys are lip syncing on their YouTube videos. They record it perfectly — they do it a thousand times till it's right — then they stand in front of a microphone with headphones on and they sing it, but what you're seeing and what you're hearing are not the same. They're singing to themselves."

La Torre joined QUEENSRŸCHE a decade ago as the replacement for original vocalist Geoff Tate.

QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "Digital Noise Alliance", was released on October 7 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE last year, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past five and a half years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE's original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against the band's fellow original members Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit.

In a new interview with Rockin' Metal Revival, legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) touched upon the fact that inflation and the surplus of shows in the pandemic era has affected sales for most tours, with musicians not only competing with one another for venues but also sometimes playing in the same city on the same night.

Joe, who is promoting his new album "Belly Of The Beast", said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now I'm getting calls from a lot of names that you would recognize. And I'd say, 'How was the gig?' And they'd go, 'Well, it was, like, half attended,' because people don't have any money. And a couple of promoters kept canceling too, because they couldn't make the insurances and the rental and the security and all the things that go with renting a venue.

"So what I'm saying to you right now is since the economy is in the toilet, I don't know where we're gonna end up with this," he continued. "I know everybody's anxious to get out there. The big shows seem to work, because everybody saves up for the big show and the stadium shows — like DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY [CRÜE] and all that — but when you've got the medium-sized venues and things, I don't know; it's half attended sometimes or what. So let's see where the world is at that point. With any luck at all and God's blessing, we might just get back on our feet here. But I have to be conscious of that, realistically."

Joe founded FANDANGO in 1977 and sang for the band for four records before RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore rang. His vocals powered the seminal "Difficult To Cure" in 1981, going gold in the U.K., France, and Japan in addition to cracking the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 and Top 3 on the U.K. albums chart. A year later, he ignited RAINBOW's "Straight Between The Eyes", which Guitar World retrospectively hailed as one of "The 25 Greatest Rock Guitar Albums" of 1982. It also spawned the Hot 100 hit "Stone Cold". During 1988, a Polygram VP wanted Turner to extend his writing and singing skills to collaborate with legendary shred virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen for his project RISING FORCE. Their album, "Odyssey", scaled the Top 40 of the Top 200, marking Malmsteen's highest bow on the respective chart and going gold in Sweden. Not long after, he reteamed with Blackmore for DEEP PURPLE's "Slaves And Masters" (1990),reaching gold status in Switzerland and Japan.

In addition, he has co-written for and appeared on classics such as Mick Jones's "Mick Jones" (1989),RIOT's "The Privilege Of Power" (1990) and Lita Ford's "Dangerous Curves" (1991),to name a few. Not to mention, he lent his background vocals to Michael Bolton's double-platinum "The Hunger" (1987),Cher's platinum "Cher" (1987),Billy Joel's Grammy Award-nominated quadruple-platinum "Storm Front" (1989),and many more. From 2001 to 2004 he teamed up with his friend and counterpart Glenn Hughes and formed HTP (HUGHES TURNER PROJECT). The release of two highly acclaimed original albums and two world tours in support gave him further recognition. Other collaborations range from shining on stage with "Raiding The Rock Vault" at LVH Hotel and Casino and an unforgettable turn on "X Factor Bulgaria" to two cuts on MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's 2021 album, "Immortal".

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has once again said that there should be at least one more "Big Four" concert.

The so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — played together for the first time in history on June 16, 2010 in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland and shared a bill again for six more shows as part of the Sonisphere series that same year. They reunited again for several dates in 2011, including the last "Big Four" concert, which was held on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Since then, METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX have played a number of shows together, including the 2013 Soundwave festival in Australia. They also performed at the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Mustaine touched upon the possibility of further "Big Four" shows in a new interview with Greg Prato of Songfacts. He said: "I really think it's time for the guys in METALLICA to step up and us do one last round, see if we can get SLAYER to come out of retirement and do a 'Big Four' passing of the torch to the new 'Big Four'. It would remain to be seen who they are.

"I think it would be really cool symbolically if we did something at, like, the L.A. Coliseum, even if it's one show and that's it," he continued. "SLAYER is from Los Angeles, so it would probably make it more convenient for them to go home at night. [Editor's note: SLAYER's Tom Araya is a longtime Texas resident while Kerry King currently calls New York City his home. Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt live in Northern California.] I personally have been hoping for this for a while, and I keep asking and asking and asking. They're just not into it. But that's up to them."

Back in 2018, Mustaine spoke about "Big Four" in an interview with "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill" on SiriusXM. Asked if there was a personal highlight for him from all the "Big Four" shows that MEGADETH has played so far, Mustaine said: "No. The whole thing was great. I can't whittle it down to one thing. I do know that looking out in the audience and seeing everybody in black t-shirts before we started and then the rain started and all these rainbow-colored umbrellas opened up, it was the most beautiful thing. Because it went form this monochrome kind of really ugly place in Sofia, Bulgaria in the rain to just this plethora of color and just beauty, and everybody was dancing and pogoing and wheelchairs going across people's heads and stuff. They didn't let the rain bother them at all. Me, I felt like I was ice skating up there on the deck, 'cause it was really slippery."

Earlier in 2018, Mustaine said that he would love play a "Big Four" show where all the bands "got treated fairly" instead of METALLICA performing a longer set and getting more stage space than the other groups on the bill. "It always kind of soured to me when you watch [METALLICA guitarist] Kirk Hammett say on the DVD ['The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria'], when they're praying, and he says that 'we're the Big One,'" Mustaine told SiriusXM. "That just kind of shows you how the mentality was there — that it really wasn't the 'Big Four'; it was METALLICA and then the three of us."

Mustaine added: "I would love to see it done in a way where we all got treated fairly and we all played together, same amount of time, same kind of stage situation, but I don't think that's gonna happen. And it's cool, because SLAYER's gonna down in history, and they don't need the 'Big Four' to make them any more legendary than they already are. Nor do I."

Hammett said in 2017 that he believed that the "Big Four" idea would be revisited again. He explained: "I see those shows as kind of like a celebration — a real celebration of each other, and a real celebration of the music that we all make, and a real celebration of the audience embracing [what] we've done. And why not have more of that?"

Nine years ago, SLAYER frontman Tom Araya said that the only thing that was standing in the way of further "Big Four" shows was "the politics of character in one particular band," with some fans speculating that he was talking about Mustaine and MEGADETH.

In his autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", Mustaine addressed the issue of where his band fit in the "Big Four" order. According to The New York Times, he assured the reader that he was not offended by being put behind SLAYER. But he added an interior monologue: "O.K., we'll play ahead of you guys on this trip, and God willing we'll do it again sometime in the near future and we can flip things around."

Mustaine was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett. He went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally patching things up over the last few years. He has jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th-anniversary concerts in 2011.

Ex-MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi says that the "universe" gave him something that he needed during his time with the band.

Corabi joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for the group's original singer, Vince Neil, who was dismissed due to personal differences. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart. When Neil returned to the fold in 1997, Corabi was left on his own.

John reflected on his time with CRÜE during a new interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm not a Bible thumper. I'm not a religious person, but I think that I look at things, in some ways, in a little bit of a spiritual way. And I kind of look at my way as I've been blessed with a lot of great things, but there was always something to follow up a great thing, there was a not-so-great thing that actually really… Now, in hindsight, I look at it and I go it was kind of a blessing because it kept me balanced. Had I gotten the MÖTLEY gig and nothing bad happened as well, maybe I would have went nuts; maybe I would have drank myself to death, or whatever. But there was always something happening. And I find it odd — and it took me a minute to think about it this way — but I found it odd that I was offered the gig in… it was February of 1992. And just prior to that, my mother had called to tell me that she was diagnosed with cancer, maybe a month or two. And then I was offered this gig. And with the gig came a lot of money. And then my mother passed away in, I believe it was December of '96, and then shortly after Vince came back.

"So I just sat there and I went, I got to meet Glenn Hughes and Brian Johnson and some of the [other] guys in AC/DC… I got to meet all these people, mainly my musician heroes, and they were super cool to me. And I was financially able to take care of my at-the-time… Joining MÖTLEY, I also got a divorce, but I was able to take care of my ex-wife and my kids. I took care of my mother. I took care of myself. So I just have a weird way of looking at it. I go, you know what? The universe gave me something that I needed for that five years. I needed that to take care of my son, who was a diabetic, ex-wife and my family. And then when my mom passed, it was, 'Okay, we're gonna take that back now. You don't need it anymore.'"

In February 2018, Corabi released a live album of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 self-titled album, recorded on October 27, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. "Live '94: One Night In Nashville" documents the album in its entirety along with the bonus track "10,000 Miles", which was originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the "Quaternary" EP.

Corabi recently released his autobiography. Titled "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades", it was written with the help of MÖTLEY CRÜE historian/author Paul Miles, and was made available via Rare Bird Books.

In a 2016 interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said that writing the "Mötley Crüe" LP with Corabi was a prolonged and difficult experience. He went to call it "a very unfocused record" that was "painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work."

Axl Rose has paid tribute to NAZARETH singer Dan McCafferty, who died earlier this month at the age of 76.

The GUNS N' ROSES frontman took to his Twitter on Saturday (November 19) to write: "Haven't addressed this... been a tough pill to swallow. Very, very sad to learn of the passing of Dan McCafferty of NAZARETH. I learned a day or so after, right before a show. Was in a bit of a surreal headspace on stage for several songs. Went on a NAZARETH binge for a few days.

"Thanks Dan n' all of NAZARETH for all the music over the years. Their music n' Dan's voice will always have a special place in my heart. Rest in peace Dan."

GUNS N' ROSES covered NAZARETH's "Hair Of The Dog" on the 1993 album "The Spaghetti Incident?" Rose also asked McCafferty to sing "Love Hurts" — which was recorded by NAZARETH on the 1975 album "Hair Of The Dog" — at his 1990 wedding to Don Everly's daughter, Erin. McCafferty turned him down.

NAZARETH bassist and co-founder Pete Agnew later told The Metal Voice: "They would have liked Dan to do it, but we were touring. It just wasn't possible. He would have [gone]. Dan would have [gone] along and sung. I think possibly the song outlasted the marriage. In the early days, GUNS N' ROSES used to come and see us, before they were huge."

In 1988, Axl said onstage: "If it wasn't for Dan McCafferty and NAZARETH, I wouldn't be singing. I used to lock myself in the bathroom and try to hit those notes in 'Love Hurts', ya know?"

In October 2019, McCafferty released his third and final solo album, "Last Testament".

After McCafferty's decision to step away from NAZARETH, the band continued to tour and record under the leadership of sole remaining founder member Agnew, with McCafferty's blessing.

McCafferty stated about his retirement from NAZARETH: "If you can't do the job, you shouldn't be there. NAZARETH's too big for that."

Axl Rose photo credit: Katarina Benzova
pic.twitter.com/TLFM80pxHk

— Axl Rose (@axlrose) November 20, 2022