Skid Row vocalist Erik Grönwall has shared a new solo cover, this time taking on the AC/DC classic "Girls Got Rhythm". The video below features Grönwall, guitarist Dave Dalone and drummer Antti Hissa.





On May 17th, Skid Row were forced to cancel their live date at The Triffid in Brisbane, Australia due to frontman Erik Grönwall coming down with the flu. On May 20th, the band announced they were cancelling the remaining dates on the tour - Adelaide and Melbourne - due to Grönwall's ongoing health issues.




On May 22nd, Skid Row announced they were cancelling their first tour of Japan in over ten years, due to Grönwall's continued health issues.


Grönwall recently shared a video diary from the band's trip to Australia, where he documents the events leading to the cancellation of the dates in Australia and Japan. Check it out to below.





Skid Row and Buckcherry recently announced that due to multiple sold-out shows and high demand from fans around the country - they are adding two more legs to their “The Gang’s All Here” co-headline tour.


The first leg in spring of 2023 wrapped with most dates selling out including Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach and Huntsville. The second leg, which starts in late August, is tracking towards multiple sell-outs across the board.


Skid Row and Buckcherry are now thrilled to take their tour even further into the year with twenty-two additional shows along the west coast and across the border into Canada. “The Gang’s All Here Tour” will also be making a stop at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 9; this will mark Skid Row’s first live appearance in Los Angeles in a decade.


Tour dates:


August
31 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues


September
1 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma 2023 ^
2 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theatre
6 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center
8 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
9 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
10 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditorium
12 - Portland, ME - State Theatre
13 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
15 - Paducah, KY - Carson Center
16 - Cleveland, OH - MGM Northfield Park
19 - East Moline, IL - The Rust Belt
20 - Joliet, IL - Rialto Square Theatre
22 - Welch, MN - Island Event Center
23 - Fort Yates, ND - Prairie Knights Casino
24 - Deadwood, SD - Deadwood Mountain Grand


October
5 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre*
6 - Suquamish, WA - Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort*
10 - Penticton, BC - Penticton Trade and Event Centre*
12 - Enoch, AB - - The Venue at River Cree Resort and Casino*
13 - Dawson Creek, BC - Ovintiv Event Centre*
16 - Lethbridge, AB - ENMAX Centre*
17 - Saskatoon, SK - TCU Place*
19 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Casino*
20 - Moose Jaw, SK - Moose Jaw Event Center*
21 - Brandon, MB - Westoba Place*
23 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre*
24 - Thunder Bay, ON - Thunder Bay Community Auditorium*
27 - Green Bay, WI - Epic Event Center*
28 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI - Kewadin Casino*


December
2 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater*
5 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues*
6 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues*
8 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren*
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre*
12 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre*
14 - Boise, ID - Revolution Concert House*
15 - Reno, NV - Nugget Casino Resort*


* Newly Announced Dates
^ Festival Dates

German metal queen Doro Pesch will release her new single, "Time For Justice", on June 23. A music video for the track was recently filmed with director Mirko Witzki (CALIBAN, ANY GIVEN DAY, EMIL BULLS) and a preview of the clip can be found below.

"Time For Justice" is the first single from Doro's new album, "Conqueress Forever Strong And Proud", which will arrive on October 27, one day before her 40th-anniversary concert at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

In a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Doro stated about her 19-song follow-up to her 2018 double album "Forever Warriors, Forever United": "It's done. It's finished. I'm just about to film the first visual for this album. And we plan to have four or five singles out, and four or five videos, before the official [album] release. Saturday, actually, in two days, we will record [the video for] 'Time For Justice'. It will be a wild video. We have a good plan. I hope it will come out like we planned."

Regarding the musical direction of "Conqueress Forever Strong And Proud", Doro said: "It's pretty heavy. It's pretty hard. The first five songs are totally heavy. Then there's a midtempo anthem coming on. But I think it's pretty heavy. The song 'I Will Prevail' is the heaviest, I think. And the opener I love so much. It's called 'Children Of The Dawn'. And then there's some duets on it."

Doro went on to reveal that JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford is one of the guest musicians on the LP, adding that he is someone she has "loved for a long time. I'm so excited. Oh my God. It is a dream come true. And he's such a great guy. We were friends forever. It's a special treat. I could die now."

According to Doro, her duet with Halford is "a fast song" and "something everybody's familiar with. Yeah, it's cool. It's a fast song and it's an anthem."

Speaking in general about the fact that she has been able to record and share the stage with so many of her musical idols, Doro said: "I was so lucky in my life [that] I could play and perform and record with the best people, people I love. It's unbelievable."

"[Rob] was a big influence," she added. "I loved Ronnie James Dio, David Coverdale, Rob Halford, Biff [Byford], Lemmy… And I was a big KISS fan. And I could work with everybody. Oh my God. It's awesome."

In April, Doro told Brazil's A Rádio Rock that fans can expect "many anthems" and "many diehard metal songs" on her upcoming LP. "Many soulful songs. And a great, great guest. A great collaboration on one of the songs. And I think this will be probably my second 'All We Are' that people always wanna hear it and sing it. And there's one song for the animals, because I love animals. It's called 'Heavenly Creatures'. And I wanna do something with this song. So that's dedicated to all these heavenly creatures."

She continued: "I grew up with dogs and horses and parrots, and I miss that in my life. That's the only thing I miss. I have no regrets whatsoever, but I would have loved pets. But it's impossible when you're on tour. So I do something else. And I just adopted two horses. But they're not close to where I live. They're actually in a different country; they're in Austria. But they're someplace where people take care of animals. It's so nice. It's a paradise — for people and for animals."

This past February, Doro spent time at Miami Beach Recording Studios laying down vocal tracks for her upcoming studio album.

"Forever Warriors, Forever United" featured 19 regular tracks and six bonus songs.

In September 2022, Doro released a very unique single — a soulful adaptation of her classic metal anthem "Raise Your Fist In The Air". The track was made possible by the new ZDF (national German TV channel) music show "Music Impossible".

In May 2022, Doro told Sleaze Roxx that she does most of her songwriting now with former SISTERS OF MERCY guitarist Andreas Bruhn. "I met him, I think, in 1986," she said. "We've always worked good together. Actually, the new bass player we have in Europe, we wrote a new killer song together so that's a new friendship. It's an anthem. It's good! And I wrote one song with my very first producer from the 'Hellbound' album. We met up again and wrote a nice song together. It's a song for the animals because I love animals. It's called 'Heavenly Creatures'. That will definitely be on the new record I'm planning on putting out next year. Next year, I have my 40th year anniversary so we want to celebrate it big."

In celebration of 35 years of the "Triumph And Agony" album from her former band WARLOCK, Doro released "Triumph And Agony Live" in various formats, including CD, vinyl, cassette, DVD, Blu-ray, and a huge box set, in September 2021 through her own label, Rare Diamonds Productions. The "Triumph And Agony" artwork centered on Geoffrey Gillespie's famous original drawing of the "Warlock" embracing the blonde rock star.

Doro Pesch photo credit: Jochen Rolfes for Nuclear Blast

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Swedish hard rock sensation H.E.A.T have delivered an electrifying live rendition of their hit track "Rock Your Body." Recorded during their European tour last year, the band's performance captures their unmatched stage presence and contagious energy.


After receiving widespread acclaim for their 2022 album Force Majeure, H.E.A.T show no signs of slowing down in 2023. Recently, the band released two new studio tracks — the empowering anthem "Freedom" and the heartfelt rock ballad "Will You Be."


In addition, H.E.A.T are constantly crafting visual content, including the release of a music video and an exhilarating 360-degree video experience.




To honor their devoted fans and create a true collector's gem, the band presents Extra Force – a strictly limited release. The specially priced LP, available on September 1, features a compelling mix of new studio tracks, unreleased live recordings, and timeless H.E.A.T classics previously sung by Erik Grönwall, now for the first time with original singer Kenny Leckremo on vocals.


The specially priced longplayer comes as limited CD Digipak and limited Black Vinyl. Extra Force is a must-have addition to any H.E.A.T fan's collection. Preorder Extra Force here.





Tracklisting:


Vinyl
“Freedom”
“Will You Be”
“Rise (Kenny L. Version)”
“One By One (Kenny L. Version)”
“Rock Your Body” (Live)
“One By One” (Live)
“Dangerous Ground” (Live)
“Back To The Rhythm” (Live)


CD
Tracks 1-9 form vinyl plus:
“Nationwide” (Live)
“Living On The Run” (Live)


"Rock Your Body (Live)"





"Will You Be":

Queen continues the video series, “Queen The Greatest: Live”, a year-long celebration of Queen Live. It's a 50-week YouTube series going behind the scenes to reveal what goes into creating a Queen show featuring moments from iconic performances and demonstrating why the band is regarded as the ultimate live act. The latest episode can be found below.


A message states: "With so many hit songs to choose from, when it comes to building a set list Queen were able to have fun with their selections and keep the audience on their toes with a few well placed surprises. In this episode, we see a pulsating performance of 'Dragon Attack' end up featuring another crowd pleasing classic."







Earlier this week, Music Business Worldwide reported that the rights to Queen’s music catalog is expected to sell for an estimated $1.1 billion USD by the end of summer 2023.


Says Music Business Worldwide: "We’re told that the initial stages of a sale process for the band’s catalog - combining both music publishing and recorded music rights - is underway, and that a full acquisition could be completed by the end of this summer.


Major music companies including Universal Music Group have been in discussions regarding a potential acquisition, we’re told, in addition to players from the world of private equity. If the combined Queen rights sell, say MBW’s sources, a price-tag in excess of USD $1 billion seems guaranteed.


Some have told us they expect the Queen catalog to sell for around USD $1.1 billion; others say the eventual figure will be even higher than that. Either way, should a sale get completed, this would become the biggest single-artist music catalog sale in history, easily surpassing the $500 million-plus paid by Sony Music Group to acquire Bruce Springsteen’s recorded music and music publishing catalogs in late 2021.


A Queen catalog sale is complicated by the fact that Disney Music Group (DMG) owns the band’s recorded music catalog in North America. (DMG has a global distribution agreement with Universal Music Group.)


Queen band members Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon – plus the Freddie Mercury estate – each own equal shares in the company Queen Productions Ltd, which owns the group’s recording catalog outside the US and Canada.


Read the full report at MusicBusinessWorldwide.com.

Foo Fighters return with But Here We Are, out today via Roswell Records/RCA Records. The band have released a visualizer for the new song, "The Glass". Watch below:





Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.




But Here We Are can be ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Rescued"
"Under You"
"Hearing Voices"
"But Here We Are"
"The Glass"
"Nothing At All"
"Show Me How"
"Beyond Me"
"The Teacher"
"Rest"


"The Teacher" video:





"The Teacher" lyric video:





"Show Me How" video:





"Under You" lyric video:





"Rescued" lyric video:





Find the band's live itinerary here.

Bassist Becky Baldwin, who was recently on tour with Mercyful Fate, has released the video below, performing a playthrough of "Melissa".


Says Baldwin: "My all-time favourite Mercyful Fate song, the epic 'Melissa' showcasing the huge dynamic range you can find in this band. It is from their debut album of the same name, and bringing that CD home at around age 14 was my first time really listening to them. Learning this one brought back great memories of looping that album on my CD player when the quest for new music was all that mattered. Timi Hansen's bass lines here are mostly understated, but really rip when the moment calls!  


Bass comes in at about 01:18, but I couldn't bare to crop the intro off a song like this, so join me in checking out some live footage from the Mercyful Fate tour in 2022 while I wait for my cue. You might spot me in somewhere in the fog while King, Hank, Bjarne and Mike do their thing! Want TABs? Sign up to my Patreon to download the full song in standard notation and TAB."







Watch Becky's playthrough video for the Mercyful Fate track, "Doomed By The Living Dead":





BraveWords recently spoke to Becky Baldwin, and you can read the full interview here.

In the video below, which has been remastered in high definition, Led Zeppelin perform "The Ocean" at New York's legendary Madison Square Garden in July 1973.





"The Ocean" was originally featured on Led Zeppelin's Houses Of he Holy album. Listen to Houses Of The Holy here.




Watch "Over The Hills And Far Away" from the same concert, remastered in HD:

MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD played the sixth show of the European leg of their "The World Tour" this past Friday night (June 2) at Prague Rocks at Letiště Letňany in Prague, Czech Republic. Fan-filmed video of MÖTLEY CRÜE's performance can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist was as follows:

01. Wild Side
02. Shout At The Devil
03. Too Fast For Love
04. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
05. Saints Of Los Angeles
06. Live Wire
07. Looks That Kill
08. The Dirt (Est. 1981) (with Machine Gun Kelly on screen)
09. Guitar Solo
10. Rock And Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' In The Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy In The U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop
11. Home Sweet Home
12. Dr. Feelgood
13. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
14. Girls, Girls, Girls
15. Primal Scream
16. Kickstart My Heart

MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD will next perform on June 3 at Expo-Plaza in Hanover, Germany.

Last month, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said that the band had completed recording several new songs with longtime producer Bob Rock.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist John 5 told Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about recording the group's new music with Rock: "Bob would come in and [say], 'Okay, let's try this here, and that here and this here. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever… I'm thinking, 'We've got so much great technology today'… but we got in that room and it was like being in a garage working on a song when you were in high school… It was incredible, and we documented a lot of it too."

Regarding the musical direction of the tracks he and the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE have recorded so far, John 5 said: "The songs are fucking heavy. I sound like a little excited kid right now, but they're heavy and they're mean. I can't wait for them to come out. I'm just so excited."

When host Eddie Trunk asked John 5 whether the new MÖTLEY CRÜE music can be compared to the band's breakthrough second album, 1983's "Shout At The Devil", the guitarist said that some of the new riffs are "heavier than anything" on that LP. "All I can tell you is that it's heavy and it's aggressive, and I think people are going to dig it because, talking as a fan, it's fucking badass," he said.

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE last fall as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues.

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE last summer that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, last month the 71-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

FILTER's Richard Patrick has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Patrick discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's awesome. Not to sound crass, but life is for the living. We're still here. And so is Phil. And so is Rex. And Zakk was, like, Dime's best friend. And Charlie is amazing and more than capable. And let's celebrate PANTERA. It was awesome. I think that that's kind of the important thing."

He continued: "I mean, look, THE ROLLING STONES were playing shows five days later when Charlie Watts died. And U2 is gonna play without Larry Mullen for the first time in the history of the band. And that's insane, but at the same time, Larry's, like, 'Go do it. Go play.' He's having back surgery and he's recuperating from that. He's always had a bad back 'cause he fell off the motorcycle when he was a kid. Celebrate the music of U2. I mean, one of these days we're not gonna be here anymore. Bono's 63. I'm 55. If you somewhat like our music, you've gotta keep coming; it's what keeps us alive. Just imagine if THE BEATLES could have gotten back together with John Lennon. That would have happened. Somewhere in the '90s, THE BEATLES would have gotten back together and played a stadium tour. They would have done it, if both George [Harrison] and John had survived. And even to this day, it's amazing to see Paul McCartney. Now he doesn't necessarily have to come out as THE BEATLES, 'cause he's Paul McCartney.

"I just think music is so important and rock and roll is becoming so established that everybody should just partake and jump in and go in feet first," Richard added. "SKINNY PUPPY is never gonna tour again; this is their last tour. And that's why I was almost crying. 'Cause I was, like, 'Man, this just brings back so much memory.' And it's so amazing. And Ogre is still amazing. And cEvin Key.

"So, yeah. Get out there and check out all the music you can."

During the same chat, Richard called PANTERA "the band that really, really meant everything to me as far as metal, as far as straight-up metal" was concerned. He explained: "Because Phil approached it… He shaved his head and he was, like, punk; he looked like a straight-edge punk guy. And I, too, had a shaved head and was, like, straight-edge kind of — well, not straight edge, 'cause I drank, and so did Phil. But we were punkers. So when I saw him with PANTERA, I was, like, 'This is awesome.' These guys brought attitude… [Singing] 'Walk on home, punk.' 'Re-spect. You're talking to me.' I just loved it. I just love PANTERA."

This past March, PANTERA headlined the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event took place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

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

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

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

Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel played his fourth show with TESTAMENT last night (Wednesday, May 31) at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland. Demmel is filling in for TESTAMENT's regular lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, who is sitting out some of the band's spring/summer 2023 European tour dates in order to tend to a family emergency.

Because Demmel had a gig scheduled with VIO-LENCE at the Milwaukee Metal Fest on Friday (May 26),TESTAMENT performed as a four-piece at the kick-off concert of the band's European tour that same night in Wiesbaden, Germany.

On May 24, Skolnick released the following statement via social media: "Dear Friends, a few days ago, I sent a late night 'family emergency' email to the band. The hour was 3am. I was at my mother's hospital bedside, in a tiny chair, still in stage clothes, a soft guitar case crammed in the corner (I'd come straight from my gig downtown). Thankfully, things have improved somewhat, knock on wood, and my mom's out of the Emergency Room, in more comfortable surroundings at the hospital, with release in the (hopefully) not too distant future. It's a good thing I happened to be home during such a turbulent week.

"At the same time, it's become very clear how many urgent matters need hands-on attention by yours truly, in light of all this. All of which to is to say that, unfortunately, there is no way to avoid TESTAMENT's upcoming European tour being affected.

"At least there is protocol for these situations. At this point, TESTAMENT had done an untold number of tours with bands in which one or more band members have had to be filled in for, most often for family issues (which become more frequent for everyone as life goes on). And having assessed this situation, it seems to make the most sense - assuming things continue in a present positive direction - for me to sit out part of this current tour and rejoin approximately mid-way. While I hate to miss/cancel shows (and never have, as far as I can remember),family first, as they say.

"Please know that the entire TESTAMENT band/crew/mgmt has been above and beyond in terms of understanding, empathizing and allowing me all the time I need. There's been no pressure and this is a plan I'm entirely on board with. There is plenty of gratitude on my end.

"I'm also grateful to my sub for these dates, Phil Demmel (ex-MACHINE HEAD). If bands are families, he is our 'Cousin Phil.' We have shared stages at NAMM and the with METAL ALLEGIANCE and he and Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] go back to their early youth. In recent years, Phil has become like Winston Wolf (from 'Pulp Fiction'),the guy you call in a pinch, whether you're SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD (for guitar or bass),OVERKILL and even vocals in JOURNEY - ok that's not true (but there is a funny meme about that). Eric Peterson will also be stepping in for some of my sections as well. Having played with both, I just know these guys will sound fantastic together, like a thrash MAIDEN. Will it sound like me? No and it shouldn't.

"One of my biggest honors was being a fill-in (one of four) for the late, great Allan Holdsworth, with his own band shortly after his passing, at a show he‘d been slated to play. All of us agreed - don't try to be him (no one can!),just be YOU. And that's how this is going to be. Think of these shows as unique, one-of-kind and worth going out of the way for. I'm looking forward to watching clips online

"Enjoy this temporary version of the band (which will be great) and don't worry - you'll have me to put up with again soon enough.

"Thanks for understanding, and see you all shortly."

Demmel's appearance with TESTAMENT marks his fourth high-profile fill-in gig in five years. Demmel stepped in for SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt for four European shows in the fall of 2018 after Gary returned home to be with his dying father. Demmel also subbed for Dave Linsk at OVERKILL's November 13, 2021 concert at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey and on the band's spring 2022 U.S. tour. More recently, Phil stepped in for Willie Adler on a number of international LAMB OF GOD shows. He also filled in for LAMB OF GOD's John Campbell when the bassist had to miss a couple of shows on "The Metal Tour Of The Year" in order to "take care a family matter back home."

In a February 2022 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Demmel discussed how he became such an in-demand hired gun. "The SLAYER thing happened within 24 hours of me quitting MACHINE HEAD," he said. "I think [SLAYER drummer] Paul Bostaph's girlfriend knew that MACHINE HEAD was done and knew that I was home, so they reached out for that. As the urban legend goes [laughs], I had three hours to learn 19 songs. It was pretty successful; a fill-in trip, one of the higher-profile things you can imagine — SLAYER on their final world tour. I filled in for my buddies in NONPOINT, too. The OVERKILL gig was more about me and Bobby [Ellsworth, vocals] doing the BPMD record together [2020's 'American Made']. We're familiar and I got the rep of being able to learn songs pretty quick. The METAL ALLEGIANCE, guys, too. I'll play 25 songs with them in a night. It's one of those quirky things where I can learn songs pretty quickly and I can pick them up pretty quick."

Demmel was then asked whether his nerves for the LAMB OF GOD and OVERKILL gigs were on the same level as playing with SLAYER. "I was pretty confident with the OVERKILL songs," he said. "We had three good rehearsals. I didn't rehearse with SLAYER at all. I played two songs at a soundcheck. [Laughs] 'Okay, we're good!' It's like, 'Fuck!' OVERKILL, we had a couple of days of rehearsal. I had two and a half, three weeks to prepare for that. I felt pretty strong with that.

"The LAMB OF GOD gig, that was a big deal. They had approached me before their MEGADETH States tour last summer and wanted me to learn both parts, Mark [Morton] and Willie's, just in case one got sick, they didn't want to cancel their tour. That's where I am: I'm their bullpen guy when one of them can't make the shows, I'm ready to go. It's such a high-profile band. I didn't want to go out there and blow it. I wanted the band to sound good. I wanted to keep that pride in what they are and not have a drop-off. Willie and I play differently. There's different vibrato in our left hand and pinkies. I didn't want there to be a drop-off. I wanted people to be not bummed that he wasn't there. And that's not a slag on Willie. If I went to see one of my favorite bands, let's say QUEENSRŸCHE. I want to see [Chris] DeGarmo, I want to see Michael Wilton. No slight against the other dudes, but they better fucking bring it if they're not going to be out there."

In a new interview with Tommy Carroll of the 97.9 WGRD radio station, NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger reflected on his friendship with PANTERA founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Vinnie Paul and Dimebag used to say all the time. When the metal community would come down on those guys and be, like, 'What's with this love for NICKELBACK? I don't get it.' And they would defend us, and it was really, really lovely. They were, like, 'Go watch 'em play. And then say they suck. Or then say something negative about them.' Because my favorite thing is when someone comes to the show, and they go, 'Honestly, I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I would definitely go see that show again.' I'm, like, 'I'll take that. I'll take that all day long. That's a hell of a compliment.'"

Kroeger said that Dimebag's murder in 2004 affected him deeply. "That one hurt," he said. "I had a tough time — really tough time — with that one for such a long time. You'd see him on [the cover of] a guitar magazine or something like that, and I'd be standing there in a grocery store. And my girlfriend would go to pull me. She's, like, 'C'mon, let's go.' And she can't move me. And then she looks over and there's just tears streaming down my face. And I'm, like, 'Ugh.' And she's, like, 'Do you wanna go home?' And I'm, like, 'Yup. I wanna go home right now.'"

Chad went on to call Dimebag and Vinnie "talented, down-home, amazing individuals. And Jerry Cantrell from ALICE IN CHAINS actually introduced me to them," he said. "We were on tour together, and he goes, 'Hey, you're gonna meet the brothers tonight.' And we were pulling into Dallas. And I said, 'The brothers?' And he goes, 'Yeah, buddy. You'll see.' I didn't know what the hell he meant at first. And the next thing I know I've got Dime and Vinnie on my bus. And I was just, like, 'Dude, this is the coolest day of my life.'"

In 2005, NICKELBACK recorded a song called "Side Of A Bullet", which was inspired by the death of Dimebag. Chad first penned the song's aggressive, metallic riff, then wrote call-and-response lyrics from the perspective of a PANTERA fan so enraged over Dimebag's murder that he vows revenge, not realizing the shooter had already been killed by a policeman. "Side Of A Bullet" featured a previously unheard guitar solo from Darrell that was edited together from outtakes off various PANTERA albums. The song was written shortly after Dimebag was killed.

"I was very upset, and for two months, if I saw his picture somewhere I would get angry," Kroeger told MTV.com. "I hadn't lost somebody to a shooting before — it wasn't as though he'd been killed in some sort of accident. He was taken in such a horrible, malicious way that just made it more painful."

Once Kroeger finished demoing "Side Of A Bullet", he called up Vinnie Paul and played it to him to get his take on the tune. Paul liked what he heard and urged Kroeger to write lyrics about Dime. "I said, 'Well, funny enough, that song is about your brother,' " Kroeger recalled.

Vinnie Paul volunteered to play on the song, so Kroeger overnighted him the tape and encouraged him to record a new drum track over the one played by NICKELBACK drummer Daniel Adair. "He thought about it for a while," Kroeger said, "then he decided that Daniel had done such an amazing job that we should leave it the way it was. That's when he sent the guitar parts from 'Vulgar Display Of Power' and 'Far Beyond Driven', which we used for the solo."

Chad spoke to Launch about the first time he played the track for Vinnie Paul. "I called Vinnie, I wanted to get his blessing, and I play him the tune and I'm telling him that it's this very PANTERA-inspired riff," Chad said. "He was into it. He was digging it over the phone, and then he says, 'You know what, dude? You gotta write one for Dime.' And I said, 'Well, I wasn't quite sure how to lead into this, but that's what the song's about, and I kind of want to get your blessing on it.' And he's, like, 'Brother, of course you have my blessing.'"

Last September, Chad weighed in on the news that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) were uniting with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner. He told LA Lloyd: "Well, selfishly, I wanna see those songs performed live. When you listen to a PANTERA record and you think to yourself — well, as we thought for the last, I don't know how many years, since the band broke up — it's, like, 'Oh, I'm never gonna get to see these songs [performed] live again.' And it's heartbreaking. So the fact that the boys are getting called in from here and there… [I] love Zakk; [I] love Charlie — great, great guys. I think the fact that they're gonna get on stage and do this… All Phil has to do is just get up there and crush it.

"I would go see that," he continued. "I would buy a ticket to go see that show. I wanna see it. I wanna scream those songs. And I think that calling it more of a tribute is probably closer to what it's gonna be, which is great; that's great. People that love that music that wanna recreate it live every single night… And like I said, as long as Phil brings it, it's gonna be great. Just to be able to sit back and watch those guys to do it up… And I think all the PANTERA fans are gonna love it.

"Anybody who's sitting back hating on the idea, I think when it comes to town, they're gonna do the same thing that happens with those people that say they don't like NICKELBACK," Chad added. "They always find themselves at the show. Strangely enough — shocker! It's, like, 'Ah, I hate those guys. They suck.' 'Are you going?' 'Of course' [Laughs]"

Sammy Hagar has shared a live Van Halen clip from 1995 on his official YouTube channel. Check it out below.


Sammy: "'When It's Love'" was the first song we wrote and recorded for OU812. It was the first single and it was a top-five hit. certainly one of my favorite love songs of all time. I can't tell you how many fans have said they played it at their wedding." 


Mike Anthony: "It was a great song to play live!"







Catch Sammy Hagar & The Circle (Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, Vic Johnson) live at the following shows in 2023:


July
14 - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harveys - Stateline, NV
15 - Pearl Theater - Las Vegas, NV - SOLD OUT


October
9 - Cabo Wabo Cantina - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
11 - Cabo Wabo Cantina - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
13 - Cabo Wabo Cantina - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
26 - The St. Augustine Amphitheatre - St. Augustine, FL 
28 - The Sound At Coachman Park - Clearwater, FL
29 - Hard Rock Live - Hollywood, FL

Former SLIPKNOT percussionist Chris Fehn gave his first interview since his exit from the band to "Drum For The Song", the podcast hosted by Dane Campbell, son of ex-MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell. During the chat, which can be seen below, Chris was asked if he had any message for the SLIPKNOT fans who have remained supportive of him even after his departure from the group. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I pray for them and I love them and I'm sorry that it ended so soon. But that's the way things go.

"The fans really were the only part that was great for me," he continued. "That stage performance and seeing them and seeing their reaction was the best part. The rest of it can fuck off.

"It's kind of like any band, though. That's the best part. The rest of it is touring, flights, personalities, this and that, this and that.

"I really do miss them [the fans]," Fehn added. "I miss playing live — I do. But it's all good, man. It's all good."

A little over two and a half years ago, Fehn settled his lawsuit against SLIPKNOT on claims he hadn't been properly compensated for his years of touring and recording with the group. Fehn, a member since 1998, was officially dismissed from the band in early 2019. The case was voluntarily discontinued in October 2020 "with prejudice," meaning Fehn can't refile the lawsuit on the same claim.

In June 2020, the judge presiding over the case determined that Fehn and SLIPKNOT would benefit from an opportunity to participate in mediation and ordered both sides' attorneys to submit to the mediator a pre-mediation statement three business days before the mediation and submit a status update three business days before each additional session.

Because confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses are often found in settlement and severance agreements between individuals and their employers, the existence of any settlement agreement between Fehn and SLIPKNOT and its terms will likely be kept private and never publicly revealed.

Fehn sued SLIPKNOT members Corey Taylor and Michael Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) in March 2019, claiming that he had been told that all the band's income was being funneled through one company that split the profits between the group members. But he alleged that he later discovered the existence of several other SLIPKNOT-related business entities through which other members were collecting more money.

Fehn specifically accused Crahan and Taylor of shady business dealings and demanded a full forensic accounting done on SLIPKNOT's companies and assets, so that he could collect the damages and profits he believes he is owed.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, SLIPKNOT dismissed Fehn in a statement posted to the band's web site, saying, "Chris knows why he is no longer a part of SLIPKNOT. We are disappointed that he chose to point fingers and manufacture claims, rather than doing what was necessary to continue to be a part of SLIPKNOT."

Taylor also addressed the accusations via Twitter, saying: "Try being wrongfully accused of stealing money from someone you cared about, and having a lot of your fans believe it."

Fehn, known for wearing a Pinocchio-style mask, participated in all the band's albums through 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter".

Chris was replaced in SLIPKNOT's touring lineup by a percussionist nicknamed "Tortilla Man." Tortilla Man was later revealed to be the multi-instrumentalist Michael Pfaff, who played keyboards with Crahan in the band DIRTY LITTLE RABBITS and is also a member of the Iowa-based duo THE SNACKS.

Tortilla Man joined SLIPKNOT in May 2019, when he was first featured in the video for comeback single "Unsainted".

SLIPKNOT's latest album, "The End, So Far", was released in September 2022 via Roadrunner Records.

During an appearance on "Vox&Hops", the podcast hosted by Matt McGachy, frontman of extreme metal band CRYPTOPSY, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson reflected on the band's early years, particularly how he survived the days of rock and roll debauchery and Sunset Strip excess of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Until I moved to California, I don't think I really ever drank or anything before I went on stage; I always played a sober, clear-headed show. And I moved to L.A. And, of course, I moved to L.A. and cocaine's on the cover of Time magazine that year, and it's the Sunset Strip — I mean, it's everything. And it's, like, look, there it is. And it's kind of, like, man, this is everything that you saw in a movie or a magazine. You become a product of your environment; it's there [and] it's around. And not everybody was going down those roads. But we kind of seemed to hang in those circles.'

He continued: "Look, I don't regret it at all. I wouldn't have changed any of it, man. I got to Hollywood at the fucking perfect time, man. The week we got there was just the best. I meet Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader], we start MEGADETH, and on it goes. And I kind of consider that... That was divine for both of us. He needed a real right-hand man who was gonna frickin' be there, and that was me. And I needed someone to frickin' pilot the jungle. He knew his shit and he grew up around the area. And I'm thankful for him every day. Despite all of it between me and Dave, I'm always thankful for him that he was the big brother that helped me get through that."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

Shortly before Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

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

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

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "The Call Of Ktulu" during the fifth show of the band's "M72" world tour, which took place May 26 at Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany can be seen below.

The trek, which launched in late April in Amsterdam, sees the band playing two nights in every city it visits — with each "No Repeat Weekend" featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.

METALLICA launched the first Hamburg show with "Creeping Death", the first single from the band's second album, "Ride The Lightning", which came out in 1984. The group's 16-song set also included three new songs from METALLICA's latest LP, "72 Seasons": "If Darkness Had A Son", "You Must Burn!" and the title track.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Harvester Of Sorrow
03. Leper Messiah
04. Until It Sleeps
05. 72 Seasons
06. If Darkness Had A Son
07. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
08. You Must Burn!
09. The Call Of Ktulu
10. The Unforgiven
11. Wherever I May Roam
12. Moth Into Flame
13. Battery
14. Whiskey In The Jar
15. One
16. Enter Sandman

Opening acts on the tour include Floor Jansen, EPICA, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

METALLICA promises fans who purchase a two-day ticket that they won't see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs spanning the band's 40-plus-year career.

Each weekend offers a variety of "Enhanced Experiences", ranging from access to a meet-and-greet, production and stage tour, food and beverage in the "Black Box" lounge to early entry into the venue and the Snake Pit. The very popular "Black Laminate" is back, now known as the "I Disappear Ticket", and is the ultimate pass for the fan who wants to run away with METALLICA for multiple weekends.

A single "I Disappear" ticket purchase gives you access to as many of METALLICA's 46 headlining tour dates across Europe and North America in 2023 and 2024 as you choose. You decide how many shows you'd like to attend around the world, and for how long, and METALLICA will make it as easy as possible.

According to Billboard, "72 Seasons" sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marks the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

"72 Seasons" had the biggest week for any rock or hard rock album since TOOL's "Fear Inoculum" arrived in September 2019 with 270,000 equivalent album units.

"72 Seasons" was released on April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, it is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Speaking of the album-making process, Ulrich explained: "It's one of the only things that hasn't changed in 40 years. There'll be a whole slew of riffs and jams and sound checks, then it falls into my lap to go through them and identify, 'That one's great, that one's good, maybe there's a song over here.'"

Regarding the fact that guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo were given writing credits on more than half of "72 Seasons", Hetfield told the Associated Press: "All four guys were on the floor when we were writing, which is new for us. Usually it's just Lars and I sitting out there hashing it out. It felt really great to have the energy of all four. There's a lot more democracy on this album. Lars and I gave up the steering wheel a little more than usual."

Hammett agreed, saying: "It was much more collaborative. The attitude was just more open. There is less limitations on everyone's creativity and I think that shows."

In the seven years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".
🇩🇪 TONIGHT IN HAMBURG 🇩🇪

The #M72 World Tour marches on to Hamburg for night 1 of our “No Repeat Weekend”!

Share what you're up to while you're in town with #M72Hamburg.

Posters from both shows, created by Mick Cassidy, will be available for purchase exclusively at the venue. pic.twitter.com/zqvpnrd3cB

— Metallica (@Metallica) May 26, 2023

Devin Townsend has checked in with the following update:


“Hello everyone. Continuing in the Devolution series of albums (which has been an avenue for us to release cool little curiosities on the side of regular releases) we bring you Devolution #3 - Empath: Live In America.


This was a very unique tour for me, and one that was regrettably cut short by the pandemic. It was a stripped-back version of the ‘Order of Magnitude’ band (without choir and a few other members), but as I try to do with each tour, the goal was to make this a unique and special night. Therefore, this tour marked a ‘free form’ version of the material. There were no backing tracks, click tracks, or even a setlist, so every night was unique and different. The audience yelled out requests and we just rolled with it. The material was therefore interpreted in unique ways and the experience was a very special ‘fly by the seat of our pants’ musical night.




It’s a raw and off-kilter performance and I’m thrilled to have documented it. Until the next ‘real’ release, I hope you enjoy this rarity from a special, albeit ill-fated tour.”


Devolution #3 - Empath: Live in America will be released worldwide on InsideOut Music on August 4th, 2023. Pre-order your copy here.


Stay tuned for more details as the release date gets closer. Check out the cover artwork below in the trailer.

German thrash legends Sodom performed at Rock Hard Festival 2023 in Gelsenkirchenm, Germany on May 27th. Check out the pro-shot livestream below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Silence Is Consent"
"Nuclear Winter"
"Sodom & Gomorrah"
"Outbreak Of Evil"
"Conflagration"
"Sodomy And Lust"
"Book Burning"
"Agent Orange"
"Don’t Walk Away" (Tank cover)
"Equinox"
"Caligula"
"Blasphemer"
"Incest"
"Bombenhagel"







In late 2022, Sodom released a new single and video for the song "After The Deluge". The song is taken from the bonus CD of the box set version of the 40th anniversary album, 40 Years At War-The Greatest Hell Of Sodom.


Frontman / founder Tom Angelripper: "We dedicate this lyric video to our recently deceased friend and former guitarist, Uwe Christoffers. With this fantastic song he wrote for Sodom back in 1985, he stays alive for all eternity. We will forever hold him in our restless and blackened hearts."


"After The Deluge" is available on digital platforms found here. Check out the official lyric video below.





40 years of Sodom, 40 years of ruthless thrash metal ‘Made in Germany’. What came into being in 1982 in Gelsenkirchen-Buer has lost nothing of its authenticity and rawness, not even four decades later. Tom Angelripper and his men still spearhead a music style that draws its energy from pure determination, intransigence and relentlessness.


What’s more, Sodom never fails to surprise their fans all over the world. 40 Years At War - The Greatest Hell Of Sodom, is a more than worthy anniversary album that - in various formats - sums up the band's history in an unusual and highly ambitious way. “Our goal was to re-record one song from each of our previous albums,” Tom explains. “Not necessarily the most obvious ones, we wanted to go for rarities or tracks we've never or very rarely played live.”


The CD and vinyl double LP with their martial cover artwork penned by Eliran Kantor (Kreator, Testament, GWAR, among others) include 17 tracks, all newly recorded by the current Sodom lineup featuring Frank Blackfire (guitars), Yorck Segatz (guitars) and Toni Merkel (drums). Tom: “We cover the songs unaltered, that’s to say: in exactly the same key and with the original lyrics. We’re better musicians now than we were back then, of course, so the new versions sound tighter and more up-to-date but the arrangements of the songs were deliberately kept unchanged.”





40 Years At War - The Greatest Hell Of Sodom was released on October 28 via Steamhammer/SPV.





Tracklisting:


"Sepulchral Voice"
"After The Deluge"
"Electrocution"
"Baptism Of Fire"
"Better Off Dead"
"Body Parts"
"Jabba The Hut"
"Gathering Of Minds"
"That's What An Unknown Killer Diarized"
"Book Burning"
"Genocide"
"City Of God"
"Ashes To Ashes"
"In War And Pieces"
"S.O.D.O.M."
"Caligula"
"Euthanasia"

Swedish collective, Curse Of Cain, have released an official live video for "Blame", a track from their self-titled debut album, out now via Atomic Fire Records.


"This excerpt is taken from the first time we were on stage together, trying to figure out if this would work at all!", states the band. "It was quite a challenge to don full costumes and perform. The filming took place during the last months of the pandemic, and it was recorded live without an audience. The entire experience was undoubtedly different, to say the least, but we had an absolute blast!"







The Curse Of Cain album ranges from modern metal stompers to bitingly aggressive melodic death grandezza, from traditional heavy metal hook magic to menacing soundscapes from a future in ruins. This is an epic sci-fi blockbuster turned addictive metal record and a new chapter in terms of heavy metal storytelling.


Curse Of Cain’s inaugural studio offering is in a world of its own. More theater play than metal record, the record acts as a dystopian narrative set in a lost world where each band member becomes a bizarre character, fulfilling a role that goes far beyond mere making music with some pals. Elaborating on the ecclesiastical and bloodthirsty story of Cain, son to Adam and Eve and thought by some to be the father of all vampires, the album follows this cursed character through his immortality in a ruinous and crumbling world.


Recorded between 2017 and 2020 in their own studio with Alexander Backlund handling producing and mixing duties, Curse Of Cain is the overture to an epic poem the world of heavy metal has not yet seen. The Pirate’s former bandmate Ken Kängström (Follow The Cipher) contributes some songwriting and Tommy Johansson (Sabaton, Majestica) tracked a guitar solo for opening track “The Mark.”


Curse Of Cain is available on CD jewelcase, LP on Orange vinyl, and digitally. Order the album in the physical format of your choice, save it on your favorite DSP, or order it digitally here.





Tracklisting:


"The Mark"
"Alive"
"Embrace Your Darkness"
"Blame"
"Hurt"
"Never See The Light Again"
"The Ground"
"Dead And Buried"
"Blood The End"


“Blame” video:





"Embrace Your Darkness" video:





"Embrace Your Darkness" live video:





“Alive” video:





"Alive" live video:





Curse Of Cain is:


Soulkeeper - vocals
Rainbow - vocals, percussion
The Pirate - bass, vocals
Timekeeper - guitars
Mechanic - drums

New York death metal pioneers SUFFOCATION have canceled their previously announced spring/summer 2023 European tour. The 26-date trek was scheduled to launch on June 16 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and conclude on July 15 at Lithuania's Devilstone Festival.

Earlier today (Friday, June 2),SUFFOCATION released the following statement via social media: "It is with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation of our summer June/July 2023 tour scheduled within Europe/UK.

"As you may know we previously toured Europe last month and during this tour a few members of the band suffered extreme physical strain resulting in injuries preventing us from returning back to the area less than a month from our previous tour.

"Although it's never our intention to cancel any tour, the health of our bandmates is key for continuing forward into the rest of the year and it's required that these members rest accordingly and recover from their injuries sustained during this tour. The physical strain that touring takes on the bodies of musicians manifests itself in many ways that are out of our control.

"We have a lot in the works for the remainder of the year including writing and completing our new album and we look forward to returning to one of our favorite territories and fans in the EU/UK bringing you SUFFOCATION at full strength, blazing and cranking alongside you all."

In November 2021, SUFFOCATION released a live album recorded during original vocalist Frank Mullen's last North American tour. Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (BEYOND CREATION, CRYPTOPSY),"Live In North America" plays like a "best of", and is the perfect farewell to one of the most influential singers in extreme music. The artwork for the album was created by Jon Zig.

In an April 2022 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, SUFFOCATION guitarist Terrance Hobbs stated about how the band's first non-Frank Mullen SUFFOCATION album was coming together: "I'll be honest: We really like Ricky Myers, who is singing for us. He's one hundred percent into it, one hundred and ten, if you want to give that a little bit extra of clap. The pre-production we're doing, he sounds super awesome, super aggressive. Of course, we miss Frank. We would love to have Frank; we never wanted to tell the public that Frank wanted to retire. Him pushing all the time with his vocals, family, kids, travel, jobs, wife and so forth, the things that go on in the real world. Frank said, 'I'm going to take that backseat. I'll do little things here and there. Maybe some backups on somebody's record. I'm not really looking to write records, go on tour and support all that stuff.' It kinda hurt. Obviously, I'm still great friends with Frank and we always have been friends since we were 15 years old. It hurts not having them there. He's still super supportive of the band. He still comes out. He comes and hangs out. Sometimes he'll feel the gumption to do stuff and maybe if we're working on an old song, he'll be the one to talk to Ricky and help him with the lyrical patterns. Frank is still involved in the music industry to some degree and especially still involved with us to some degree, but he wanted to take the back seat. And he was the one who said, 'Get Ricky!' We had done some touring back in '95, '96 and we met Ricky Myers, he's the drummer and head of the band DISGORGED from California. We had done some touring and eventually, Ricky caught wind, especially Derek [Boyer, bass], being a California player. He's been with us for a long time. Longer than any of the original members. [Laughs] It's kinda crazy. It's great for me because now I've got a right-hand man who's there just like Doug [Cerrito, guitar] was there for a long time. Basically, what we wanted to do was keep the integrity of our band. We have new members. We talked with each other. We tried to work out everything we could possibly do. We may get Frank to sing an old 'Breeding [The Spawn]' song on this record for all I know. Don't cross your fingers, but I'm not sure. We still have a very good rapport, and I think Ricky is a pretty good choice. He's been with us for five, six years. He's done quite a bit of touring with us. I think he's a good fit. I think it will be good."

Asked if Ricky has to adjust to SUFFOCATION, or SUFFOCATION has to adjust to Ricky for the new songs, Terrance said: "We try any technique. Ricky is a die-hard person and hot as fuck on it. [Laughs] As soon as I give him new riffs, he's immediately writing. I don't have to ask him shit. He's already on; he's on it. It was a big relief. Frank was like that in the earlier stages of SUFFOCATION. As time went on, we started picking up on the writing and making the patterns for the lyrics. He was slowly fading out of that. More of it was coming on Derek and me to write lyrics. Now, we don't even have to bother. If any of us decide to write something, we give it to Ricky, but he does all the writing on this album, which is fantastic. It's great to have somebody who is one hundred percent into it and ready to be on it. He's very open, too. Ricky's like, 'How do you think this sounds? Does this sound cool? Tell me if my tone sucks. Anything.' It's an eye-opening experience and it gives me a little more gumption and drive in my old age because now I have someone who wants to put in all that energy."

🛑❌ ATTENTION EUROPEAN FANS ❌🛑

It is with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation of our summer June/July...

Posted by Suffocation on Friday, June 2, 2023

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WARHORSE, the project featuring ex-IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno, has released the official music video for the song "Warhorse". The track features Becky Baldwin (bass; MERCYFUL FATE) and Joe Lazarus (drums) as special guests. The two musicians participated in the recording of the song, but due to logistical reasons, they are not part of the video.

WARHORSE was formed last year by Di'Anno and two guitarists/authors, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante "Pupi" Pupačić.

Recorded primarily at Pupi studios in Split, Croatia, "Warhorse" will include nine original songs and two covers, "Precious" (DEPECHE MODE) and "Tequila" (THE CHAMPS). The effort is currently being mixed and will be ready for release in the fall of 2023. More information about the record label and release date will be made available soon. Fans will be able to see WARHORSE live around the world in 2024.

WARHORSE previously recorded three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — were released in May 2022 as a special DVD single along with Paul's video message to all fans who bought the single and thus helped raise funds for his recent knee operation.

According to Stjepan Juras, a MAIDEN fan and author of many MAIDEN-related books, who has been taking care of Paul while he has been receiving physiotherapy treatments in Croatia, "Warhorse" will include the following tracks:

* Here Comes The Night
* Warhorse
* Stop The War
* Get, Get Ready
* Go
* The Doubt Within
* Going Home
* Precious (DEPECHE MODE cover)
* Tequila (THE CHAMPS cover)
* Forever Bound
* I Confess

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

The WARHORSE single marked Di'Anno's first music release after a seven-year hiatus due to severe health issues.

"Stop The War" featured a universal and very clear message. This fierce, direct and brutally honest song was created as a direct consequence of the tragic events in Ukraine, but its message refers to all wars, the meaninglessness of the suffering and suffering of the innocent.

"I can't stand up — yet — on my feet, but I can stand up against the wars, deaths, tears, suffering… We all need to stand up against the war and say 'enough' to tyrants and lunatics once and for all," Paulsaid at the time of the song's release.

Behind the suggestive video, which was a combination of lyrics videos and WARHORSE studio recordings, stood the WARHORSE team and video producer Andy Pilkington, who has made great lyric videos, among others for JUDAS PRIEST and SMITH & KOTZEN.

Di'Anno, who finally underwent his knee surgery in September 2022, played the first show since the operation on October 1 at the Keep It True Rising II festival in Würzburg, Germany. He has since completed a Latin American tour and has a number of live dates scheduled for the rest of this year.

In December, Paul was joined by Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, for three concerts in Greece, where they played songs from "Iron Maiden" and "Killers".

In May 2022, Di'Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band's concert in Croatia.

Harris, whose group kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb, came out before the show to greet a wheelchair-bound Di'Anno and chat with him for a few minutes.

After his friendly meeting with Harris, Di'Anno stuck around long enough to watch some of MAIDEN's performance before leaving near the end of the set to avoid a huge traffic jam after the show.

Also in May 2022, Paul played his first full solo concert in seven years at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in a documentary about Di'Anno, to be directed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon.

KILL THE LIGHTS, the band featuring ex-BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE bassist Jason "Jay" James and drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas, along with former members of THROW THE FIGHT, THREAT SIGNAL and STILL REMAINS, has released a new single, "Broken Bones".

Galloping guitar solos and soaring vocals collide on "Broken Bones". The song's pulsing riffs, racing solos, and unforgettable melodies make for one helluva fist-pumping anthem that will incite moshpits the world over. The band perfectly executes a classic-yet-modern metal sound.

"'Broken Bones' tells the story of someone who is in the depths of loss, heartbreak, and tragedy," KILL THE LIGHTS states. "Frozen with fear, they are forced to watch their life play out like a bad movie. Only hope keeps them from drowning in their own struggle with mental health. Every breath a struggle, each day a battle. On hands and knees, they fight just to get through the day."

KILL THE LIGHTS released its debut album, "The Sinner", in 2020 on Fearless Records. The band and record were lauded for "statement songs" (Distorted Sound) and for being "broad in scope and technically accomplished in its execution" (Sonic Perspectives).

KILL THE LIGHTS is also now managed by The Oracle Management, a family-run management team founded by DEVILDRIVER and COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara and his wife Anahstasia Fafara.

"We are very excited to work with Dez and the team over at Oracle Management," KILL THE LIGHTS exclaims. "Having such an artist-friendly management team with decades of experience and success is a perfect fit for KILL THE LIGHTS. From day one, we have been inspired by Dez and Anahstasia's energy, passion, and hustle to ensure KILL THE LIGHTS reaches its full potential. Oracle Management is the missing piece we have been searching for to take us to the next level. We can't wait to hit the road and share our new record with the world."

KILL THE LIGHTS is:

James Clark (ex-THROW THE FIGHT) - Vocals
Jordan Whelan (STILL REMAINS) - Guitar
Michael "Moose" Thomas (ex-BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) - Drums
Jason "Jay" James (ex-BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) - Bass
Travis Montgomery (ex-THREAT SIGNAL) - Guitar

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE announced Jay's departure in February 2015 during the recording sessions for the group's fifth album, "Venom", and recruited Jamie Mathias as his replacement in May of that same year.

In July 2015, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck told Revolver: "We parted ways with [Jay] a long time before we announced it. We wanted to make sure we were comfortable making that decision, and comfortable with making that statement publicly. We wanted to get the album ready to be recorded before we said anything…"

Tuck described the split with James as "the most difficult thing we've ever had to do, and not just in the band or in our careers, but in our lives, personally. It was awful. Losing a long-term member — and our best friend, which was much more important to us — was a very powerful moment that we'd never been through before, and it was a decision that we deliberated over for, like, three months; we kept fighting and fighting to find valid reasons for him to stay, but eventually it was just impossible.

"I'm not going to go into detail," Tuck continued, "but it was in Jay's best interest personally, more than ours, that he was not in the band. People can read into that what they want, which they will anyway; but it was just stuff going on that was jeopardizing the band's career, and it had to stop. And, unfortunately, it came to the point where enough was enough, and we just had to make that call."

In December 2017, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE announced that it was officially parting ways with Thomas and replacing him with Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND). Bowld had toured with the group since November 2015, filling in for Thomas, who had taken a leave of absence as he and his wife were expecting their first child.

In February 2020, Thomas told the "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast that he didn't leave BULLET FROM MY VALENTINE of his own accord.

"We'd done the last album [in 2015], which was 'Venom', which was kind of more back-to-the-heavier-roots type of thing, which I was a lot happier with; I think everyone was," Thomas explained. "And it was on that album we left — Jay, and then I left a year later. So we finished 'Venom' and then started touring 'Venom'. It was on the European tour cycle of 'Venom' that I left and didn't return. I would have gone back [on tour], but no one answered my e-mails."

Cleveland-bred pioneers of extreme atrocity RINGWORM have signed to Nuclear Blast Records. Their most vicious record in decades, "Seeing Through Fire", will arrive on August 18.

RINGWORM vocalist James "Human Furnace" Bulloch says: "We couldn't be more excited, really. Getting out to a larger audience is always the goal. And after a career as long as ours, you really appreciate your opportunities when they come to you. The chance to reach out to a globally larger metal scene, is always what the doctor ordered. NB gives us reach that we haven't had over the years and we're definitely fired up."

Speaking about "Seeing Through Fire", Bulloch adds: "We're pretty pumped on 'Seeing Through Fire'. It's a total burner. It's a straight-forward, 'smash your face and leave you layin' there wondering what you got hit with'-type record.

"We've never felt the need to 're-invent our own wheel' but going into this one we tried some different things sonically, and we're very happy with the results. Of course, it's the intention, every time we record a new record, but we feel like the overall sound, feel and aggression of 'Seeing Through Fire' one-ups many of our past records. Which, for anyone that knows our catalog, is not always an easy task. With every new record, you have to dig deeper."

Today, the band has revealed the record's first single, a no-holds-barred, furious neck-snapping track called "No Solace, No Quarter, No Mercy" that lays the groundwork for the impending brutality.

Bulloch says of the new single: "There's A LOT of crushers on the new one, so it was hard to pick one as a single. But we finally settled on 'No Solace, No Quarter, No Mercy'. It's got hooks, beat downs, head bangs, thrash.... Overall a pretty good taste of what you're gonna get from the new record and RINGWORM in general. This one delves into the endless conflict that we never seem to be free from. The constant outward, internal, mental and physical assaults that shape our lives, test our endurance, push our limits and challenge our breaking points."

"Seeing Through Fire" track listing:

01. Seeing Through Fire
02. Carved In Stone
03. No Solace, No Quarter, No Mercy
04. Death Hoax
05. Thought Crimes
06. Unavoidable Truth
07. House Of Flies
08. You Want It To
09. Mental Decontrol
10. Power And Blood
11. Playing God

On the rarest of occasions, there comes along a band that latches on and annihilates your ears with such a unique combination of sounds, you find yourself dislodged from the monotony of everyday music, and rooted firmly in the terrain of admiration. RINGWORM are no strangers to this concept, and have been fascinating metalheads with their unorthodox melodies for over 30 years.

"We wanted to go with a slightly different approach and look than the previous records. It's a new era for us," explains Bulloch. "It's a little bit of a return to our roots. You have those moments every so often where you wanna get back to your comfort zone, but at the same time you want to expand that comfort zone."

A different level of sound quality was accomplished with "Seeing Through Fire" as technology allowed RINGWORM to banish any previous restrictions laid upon them during the production and recording processes. Working again with Noah Buchanan of Mercinary Studios in Cleveland, this was the first time everything, including vocals, was all recorded in that same space.

RINGWORM is James "Human Furnace" Bulloch (vocals),Matt Sorg (guitar),Mike Lare (guitar),Ed Stephens (bass).

Photo credit: Doug French

David Lee Roth has shared a new solo version of the VAN HALEN classic "Atomic Punk". The new recording, like the previously released "Everybody Wants Some!!", "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", "Panama", "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Unchained", was laid down on May 3, 2022 during a session at Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. Joining Roth in the studio were Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass and Francis Valentino on drums. A total of 14 songs were recorded in two hours. The music and the vocals were tracked live with "no samples" and without the pitch-correction technology Auto-Tune.

Roth's version of "Atomic Punk" comes 11 months after he shared a previously unheard solo recording from 2007, "Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway", in which he looked back nostalgically on his days in VAN HALEN. The latter song was recorded in 2007 with guitarist John 5 and drummer Gregg Bissonette for an album that never came out.

Back in 2020, Roth included five previously unreleased songs in The Roth Project, an online comic narrated by the legendary VAN HALEN singer, with music from John 5 on guitar and bass, Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percussion. The tracks "Giddy-Up!", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Alligator Pants", "Lo-Rez Sunset" and "Manda Bala" were recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

Four years ago, Roth was asked by Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF if his LP with John 5 will be made available at some point. He responded: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."

Roth, who was promoting his Las Vegas residency at the time, didn't offer a possible time frame for the release of the record, explaining that his priority was "getting out on the road first. Let's see the band, let's show ourselves off, let's travel all over the world."

Roth canceled a series of Las Vegas residency shows in January 2022 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Three months earlier, he had announced in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he was planning to retire after the residency.

In July 2022, Roth released a new solo song titled "Pointing At The Moon". The acoustic-based, Americana-flavored tune was accompanied by a new abstract painting from Roth.

GUNS N' ROSES kicked off their 2023 tour earlier today (Thursday, June 1) in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, at the prestigious Etihad Arena, the largest indoor multi-purpose venue in the UAE, with a seating capacity of over 20,000.

The Axl Rose-fronted outfit opened the concert with "It's So Easy" and followed it up with the "Use Your Illusion I" number "Bad Obsession", which hadn't been played by GN'R since February 1993. For the fifth song of the set, they played the "Use Your Illusion II" track "Pretty Tied Up", which hadn't been performed since April 1992. Later in the show, GUNS N' ROSES played their cover of U.K. SUBS' "Down On The Farm", which appeared on GN'R's 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" but hadn't been played by the band since December 2006. About halfway through the regular set, GUNS N' ROSES performed "Anything Goes", a song from the band's classic debut album "Appetite For Destruction", which hadn't been played live since August 1988.

GUNS N' ROSES' setlist was as follows:

01. It's So Easy
02. Bad Obsession (first time since February 6, 1993)
03. Chinese Democracy
04. Slither (VELVET REVOLVER cover)
05. Pretty Tied Up (first time since April 6, 1992)
06. Welcome To The Jungle
07. Mr. Brownstone
08. Hard Skool
09. Double Talkin' Jive
10. Reckless Life
11. Absurd
12. You Could Be Mine
13. Down On The Farm (UK SUBS cover) (first time since December 20, 2006)
14. Rocket Queen
15. T.V. Eye (THE STOOGES cover) (Duff McKagan on vocals, live debut)
16. Anything Goes (first time since August 1, 1988)
17. Civil War (Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" outro)
18. This I Love (first time since November 14, 2018)
19. Live And Let Die (WINGS cover)
20. Estranged
21. Slash Guitar Solo
22. Sweet Child O' Mine
23. November Rain
24. Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
25. Street Of Dreams
26. Nice Boys (ROSE TATTOO cover) (First time since February 11, 2017)
27. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan cover)
28. Nightrain

Encore:

29. Patience
30. Don't Cry
31. My Michelle (First performance since November 29, 2017)
32. Paradise City

In a recent interview with Guy "Favazz" Favazza of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus said that fans may get to hear some different songs on the band's 2023 tour. "Hopefully we'll shake things up a bit and switch around songs and stuff like that," he said. "But a lot of times every night is different, 'cause we don't have setlists, so…"

Pressed by Favazz about how Fortus and his bandmates know what is coming up next when they don't have a setlist, Richard said: "Our singer. Axl, he's got a button he can push that cuts off the mic from the [front]… which usually is used to tell jokes. But he'll just say, 'What do you guys wanna do?' And somebody else will say something or he'll say, 'Let's do this.'

"There's blocks of songs that we'll do together," Fortus explained. "And sometimes it's a real surprise… And we're well rehearsed. We soundcheck for at least an hour every day. Slash [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist, man, he loves to play — he loves to play… I get to play with that guy every night. It's pretty cool."

GUNS N' ROSES' North American tour will start on Saturday, August 5 in Moncton, NB at Medavie Blue Cross Stadium, and will visit historic venues across the country such as Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on August 21 and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on August 24. The tour concludes in Vancouver, British Columbia at BC Place on Monday, October 16.

GUNS N' ROSES launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour features classic-lineup members Duff McKagan, Axl Rose and Slash, backed by Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES released a new four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

The band is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.