Guitar legend and former UFO axeman Michael Schenker performed at Rock Hard Festival 2023 in Gelsenkirchenm, Germany on May 28th. Check out the pro-shot livestream below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Into the Arena"
"Cry for the Nations"
"Doctor Doctor" (UFO)
"Looking for Love"
"Lights Out" (UFO)
"Red Sky"
"Shoot Shoot" (UFO)
"Sail the Darkness"
"Let It Roll" (UFO)
"Emergency"
"Natural Thing" (UFO)
"Armed and Ready"
"We Are the Voice"
"Assault Attack"
"Rock Bottom" (UFO)




Encore:
"Too Hot to Handle" (UFO)
"Only You Can Rock Me" (UFO)





Back in August 2022, the Michael Schenker Group (MSG) released a video for "Fighter", a bonus track on the digipak edition of their new album, Universal, available via Atomic Fire Records.


Says Schenker: ""Hi everybody, here is our new video 'Fighter' from our latest album, Universal. It's a catchy little song. Enjoy. We are currently playing festivals and it’s a lot of fun seeing all of you happy guys out there. Not long from now we will be touring the States and Japan. We are very much looking forward to it. See you all soon. Keep on rocking!"





For Universal, Schenker has once again enlisted a number of prestigious fellow musicians for the recording of his new studio production, among them, as main vocalist, Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Vandenberg), who will also be MSG’s frontman on their upcoming tour, Michael Kiske (Helloween) and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), keyboard player Steve Mann (Lionheart), drummers Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who), Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner), Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow) and Bodo Schopf (Eloy), as well as legendary bassists Bob Daisley (Black Sabbath), Barry Sparks (Malmsteen, Dokken) and Barend Courbois (Blind Guardian, Zakk Wylde), with Tony Carey as a very special guest.


Universal is available as Digipak CD (incl. 2 bonus tracks), colored vinyl, Earbook (CD incl. 2 bonus tracks) and digital album. Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Emergency"
"Under Attack"
"Calling Baal"
"A King Has Gone"
"The Universe"
"Long Long Road"
"Wrecking Ball"
"Yesterday Is Dead"
"London Calling"
"Sad Is The Song"
"Au Revoir"
"Turn Off The World" (Digipack bonus track)
"Fighter" (Digipack bonus track)


"Under Attack" lyric video:





“A King Has Gone" lyric video:





"Emergency" video:

If a survey was commissioned to find out at which shows audiences are their most boisterous, Freedom Call would definitely be among the leading acts. The south German melodic power metal band surrounding frontman and founder Chris Bay, regularly leaves audiences euphoric in its the wake, carried away by the band’s catchy songs and inspiring stage performance.


Freedom Call have earned their large global fan base through sweat and tears, so it seemed logical to document their atmospheric concerts on CD and Blu-ray every now and again to preserve it for eternity. The latest version, The M.E.T.A.L. Fest, was recorded at two shows in Pilsen and Regensburg in summer/autumn 2022 and compiled into one diverse concert cut. The Blu-ray disc also includes the bonus feature Warriors Of The Caribbean - The Movie.


Today sees the arrival of a brand-new studio song, the title track and lead single "The M.E.T.A.L. Fest", which heralds in a hot festival summer. Listen to the song below.




Set for release on July 14, you can pre-order The M.E.T.A.L. Fest here.





The M.E.T.A.L. Fest tracklisting:


"The M.E.T.A.L. Fest"
Intro
"Union Of The Strong"
"Tears Of Babylon"
"Spirit Of Daedalus"
"Sail Away"
"Metal Invasion"
"M.E.T.A.L"
"111 - The Number Of Angels"
"The Ace Of The Unicorn"
"Freedom Call"
"Power And Glory"
"Metal Is For Everyone"
"Warriors"
"Far Away"
"Land Of Light"
Outro

EYE AM, the new band featuring former TYPE O NEGATIVE members Kenny Hickey (guitar/vocals) and Johnny Kelly (drums),along with Kirk Windstein (guitar, vocals; CROWBAR, DOWN, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Todd Strange (CROWBAR, DOWN),has released its debut single, "Dreams Always Die With The Sun", via Corpse Paint Records. A music video for the track was recently filmed by Mike Holderbeast at Joy Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana and can be seen below.

"Dreams Always Die With The Sun" was written by Hickey and Windstein and was recorded in February by bassist Roger Lima of LESS THAN JAKE at his studio called The Moathouse in Gainesville, Florida. The track was mixed and mastered by Jay Ruston.

Windstein previously stated about the track: "For me, I just love jamming and writing songs with talented people. Of course, I've jammed with Todd Strange since the '80s, so I knew that would be great, but having the opportunity to get together with Kenny and Johnny was exciting. I was a little nervous at first, but once we started putting the song together, I had a great feeling we were on to something special. I love the song, and can't wait to write some more with these guys."

Hickey added: "Well, we didn't really know what would happen when we got together. I had a few riffs and half-finished ideas, and I recorded them and sent them to Kirk and he wrote some ideas off of that. I think because we're all around the same age, it echoes the music we grew up with, which was mostly '70s hard rock and metal. It has a classic rock quality to it. I hear some Hendrix in there as well. It's really satisfying when you throw musicians and riffs into a pot and then listen back to hear what comes out of it. It's somehow less contrived sounding, I think. It could have also hit the wall and ended up a disaster, which adds an element of risk to it as well. But I think we came out with something really cool."

Kelly said: "I loved getting together with some old friends! It was a lot of fun flying by the seat of my pants! I'm really happy with the way the song turned out. Kenny, Kirk and Todd really came through on this song. I hope everyone that hears it, likes it half as much as I do!"

Strange said: "What an opportunity to create music with a great group of guys. One of my favorite experiences in music to date."

Holderbeast said: "I've known Kirk and Todd for many years and have worked with them on projects for CROWBAR and DOWN. I've been a huge TYPE O NEGATIVE fan for years, so it was killer to work with Kenny and Johnny for the first time.

"We shot at the Joy Theatre in the heart of New Orleans. A lot of bands have played there because it's got cool vibes. The shoot went super smoothly, and it was a great experience — definitely one of the most fun videos I've shot. And for being a new project, the sound was incredibly organic and natural. You'd have thought these guys have been together for years."

Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Kelly stated about how EYE AM came together: "That was started with Andrew Spaulding. I met him; he was a merchandiser for DANZIG. And then TYPE O went on tour after that. We brought him out and he worked with TYPE O up until Peter [Steele, TYPE O NEGATIVE frontman] passed away. And we all remained good friends and stuff. And he started an indie label; he started a small little label. And he suggested putting me and Kenny together with Kirk Windstein and Todd Strange from CROWBAR. We've all been friends — I've known Kirk and Todd for, like, 30 years at this point. So we've always been friends and we've always crossed paths and hung out and this and that but never really had the opportunity to get in a room and play together. And Drew had it worked out. We all met in Florida, like, two months ago. We got into a room, came up with that song, recorded it the next day, and that was it; it was done.'"

According to Kelly, "Dreams Always Die With The Sun" was written and recorded in less than a day. "Drew literally picked me up from the airport and drove me to rehearsal," he said. "And the guys were in the room. And I just put my suitcase over to the side, set up the kit and we started working on the song. And then the next morning we went to the recording studio, tracked all the drums. And then I was on a plane. I don't know where I was going after that, but I had to leave right after we were done tracking; I think my flight was at six in the morning the next morning. So I was there just literally for a few hours."

He continued: "We are going to New Orleans at the end of June to do more writing and recording. If we get like a whole week, who knows what can happen?"

Regarding how "Dreams Always Die With The Sun" turned out, Johnny said: "It's a cool song. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I guess the best way to compare it — on a different scale, of course — would be like Scott Weiland and VELVET REVOLVER [got together]. You take these people from these bands and you put 'em together and you have a certain expectation of it. Then you're not sure if it's gonna meet it, if it's exceeding it or if it falls way below. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and how much fun it was to work with everybody."

In addition to their work with TYPE O NEGATIVE, Hickey and Kelly had previously collaborated in a band called SEVENTH VOID, which released one full-length album, "Heaven Is Gone", in 2009, and SILVERTOMB, which issued "Edge Of Existence" in 2019.

In a 2018 interview with Rock And Roll Fables, Hickey stated about his chemistry with Kelly: "I've been working with Johnny long before TYPE O. I met Johnny probably in 1986. TYPE O formed in 1989, so we were already in a thrash band together. Basically, we grew up and learned everything the wrong way together and had to work it out over the course of the years. [Laughs] For me, it's completely natural with him. We got better at it. Dude, you do something for 35 years, I hope you're getting better at it."

Original CROWBAR bassist Strange returned to the band in 2016 for the touring cycle in support of the band's "The Serpent Only Lies" album.

Strange, who originally left CROWBAR back in 1999, stuck around for two years before departing once again to focus on his family life.

CROWBAR frontman Windstein, who also plays in the New Orleans supergroup DOWN, released two albums with HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta under the KINGDOM OF SORROW banner. Kirk's debut solo album, "Dream In Motion", arrived in 2020.

Massachusetts old-school hardcore band DEATH RAY VISION — which features in its ranks KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio — will release its third album, "No Mercy From Electric Eyes", on June 30 via Metal Blade Records.

The official music video for the song "From The Rafters" can be seen below.

"When society breaks down and justice is no longer upheld, the kids will take to the streets in revolt," says D'Antonio. "This is a song about injustice and rebellion — it does not pull any punches."

"No Mercy From Electric Eyes" track listing:

01. Behead The King
02. In Unholy Water
03. From The Rafters
04. Reaper
05. Premature Evisceration
06. Praise The War Machine
07. Broken Hands Of God
08. An Iron Age
09. Armageddon Is The Answer
10. O Great Destroyer
11. Crawl Forth The Cowards
12. End Me

Commencing writing in late 2018 following a tour with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, DEATH RAY VISION had a lot of creative momentum still burning following that year's "Negative Mental Attitude" and kept it rolling. The results will demonstrate that they are playing at the top of their game.

"We're a lot more cohesive as a band after playing together for so many years, and we've gotten better at songwriting and collaborating to bring out the best in everyone's ideas," says guitarist Pete Cortese.

A further new dimension affecting the sound is the addition of vocalist Keith Bennett to the band's ranks, who the existing members knew would be the perfect fit from his time with notable acts WRECKING CREW, PANZERBASTARD (both of whom shared the stage with Cortese and D'Antonio's other band OVERCAST) and RAMALLAH.

"Keith brings a whole lot of piss and vinegar, with a side of street cred. He brought a new sense of enthusiasm and excitement and got us even more fired up to make a great record," says Cortese. Guitarist Chris Rosati adds, "Creatively speaking, Keith is a force of nature. His ability to get inside a new song and quickly come up with vocals and lyrics is really something to witness."

Lyrically, "No Mercy From Electric Eyes" is a more politically charged record than their previous releases. "It's more pissed off, and anyone paying attention to the state of the world can understand why," says Cortese. But it's also deeply personal for Bennett. "Every word I'm singing is from the heart," says the vocalist. "I should have been dead a few years ago, I'm here for a reason. These lyrics are a direct line to how I feel, how I live, what I see."

When it came to tracking, drummer Colin Conway laid down his parts at Mad Oak studio with longtime associate Benny Grotto, while everything else was recorded, engineered and produced by Rosati at his home studio, Mass Metal Studios.

The record is wrapped up with a title drawn from the lyrics of one of the tracks — Cortese pointing out that it makes perfect sense given their band name — and vivid artwork courtesy of D'Antonio, which according to the bassist stems from the idea "of 'being under the thumb of an ethereal overlord.' The fear of knowing the 'master' is watching your every move, from a short distance away. In this world, only obedience is accepted and absolutely no mercy is given to those who fail."

Having poured so much of their hearts and souls into "No Mercy From Electric Eyes", the band hopes to play the songs live as much as possible, and has aspirations of touring outside of the U.S. for the first time, but at the end of the day they are proud of what they have achieved and believe they are worth giving a damn about, because they give a damn about everything they do.

"We made a great record that doesn't sound like many contemporary metal bands," says Cortese. "It's heavy as fuck without having to rely on drop Z tuning, and it's a great balance of aggressive and melodic without sounding contrived."

DEATH RAY VISION is:

Keith Bennett - Vocals
Chris Rosati - Guitar/vocals
Pete Cortese - Guitar
Mike D'Antonio - Bass
Colin Conway - Drums

DEATH RAY VISION on tour:

June 09 - Hampton Beach, NH - Casino Ballroom (w/ KILLSWITCH ENGAGE)
June 23 - Holyoke, MA - GatewayCity Arts (w/ TREE)
June 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland (w/ TREE)
June 25 - Providence, RI - Alchemy (w/ TREE)
June 30 - Cambridge, MA - Sonia (record-release show w/ BURNING WIND, APOLLYON, GROTESQUERIES and KLAXON)

Fan-filmed video of PANTERA's May 31 concert at Barba Negra in Budapest, Hungary can be viewed below.

PANTERA's second of two shows in Budapest marked the band's fourth live gig in Europe in 23 years — since May 2000, when the band last toured the continent in support of what would be their final album, "Reinventing The Steel".

PANTERA's setlist for the May 31 concert in Budapest was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. A New Level
02. Mouth For War
03. Strength Beyond Strength
04. Becoming
05. I'm Broken
06. Suicide Note Pt. II
07. 5 Minutes Alone
08. This Love
09. Yesterday Don't Mean Shit
10. Fucking Hostile
11. Planet Caravan (BLACK SABBATH cover)
12. Walk
13. Domination / Hollow
14. Cowboys From Hell

PANTERA's current lineup includes two surviving members from the band's classic formation, Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

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.

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.

EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, the extreme metal band founded by Simon Neil (BIFFY CLYRO) and Mike Vennart (BIFFY CLYRO live guitarist and solo artist, ex-OCEANSIZE),has shared a new song called "Stutter". The track is taken from EMPIRE STATE BASTARD's debut album, "Rivers Of Heresy", which will arrive on September 1 via Roadrunner. The LP will also feature EMPIRE STATE BASTARD's debut single "Harvest", which was released this past March ahead of the band's sold-out U.K. headline tour.

Furthermore, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD has announced that it will make its New York City live debut supporting CHAT PILE at Le Poisson Rouge on September 20.

EMPIRE STATE BASTARD also features the legendary Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE) on drums, with Naomi Macleod (BITCH FALCON) rounding out the live lineup on bass.

As Mike candidly admits, "I set about making the most fucking poisonous vile music I possibly could, just unabridged hatred in musical form."

Simon adds, "Lyrically, it's as misanthropic and nihilistic as I've ever written."

In addition to its digital release, "Rivers Of Heresy" will be made available on the following limited-edition physical formats: CD with an exclusive 24-page fanzine; poison green vinyl and red / black marble vinyl; and cassette. The deluxe vinyl bundle adds a seven-inch single featuring "Harvest" and a non-album B-side to either album vinyl.

Up next, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD will play select international festival dates this summer, including U.K. sets at Download, Glastonbury and ArcTanGent before heading to the States for an appearance at Riot Fest this September.

The concept for EMPIRE STATE BASTARD emerged when Neil and Vennart would spend downtime on tour sitting at the back of their bus sharing the heaviest, most avant-garde and confrontational music they could find. Now, a decade on from its conception, the project is finally coming to fruition, with Vennart writing the songs and recording all the guitars, and Neil focusing on vocals and lyrics.

The two have emerged with a collection of songs which adventurously probes slamming hardcore in the vein of SIEGE; the frenetic, visceral thrash of SLAYER; the claustrophobic sludge of MELVINS; the freeform vocal dexterity of Mike Patton; and the gargantuan stoner riffs of SLEEP. It's a band that's rooted in the tradition of metal's forefathers but informed by more recent waves of leftfield aggression.

"Rivers Of Heresy" track listing:

01. Harvest
02. Blusher
03. Moi?
04. Tired, Aye?
05. Sons And Daughters
06. Stutter
07. Palms Of Hands
08. Dusty
09. Sold!
10. The Looming

During a recent appearance on "The Jasta Show", Lombardo spoke about his involvement with EMPIRE STATE BASTARD. Dave said: "Simon Neil and Mike Vennart [are] from a very popular band in the U.K. called BIFFY CLYRO. [A lot of people in the U.S.] don't know who BIFFY CLYRO is, but they're massive in the U.K. They headline Download and Glastonbury [festivals]; they headline Download the next day after IRON MAIDEN. So there guys are massive. But Simon Neil, the vocalist for that band, and Mike Vennart have a love and an affinity for hardcore music. And for the past 10 years they've been talking about this. And they hit me up during the pandemic and took a shot in the dark and said, 'Well, why not? Let's ask him. He might not wanna do it.' But they asked. At first, I fell in love with the music. I was, like, 'Wow. This is pretty fucking cool.' Odd time changes. It's a little thrashy. It has a little bit of grindcore in it. It's hard to describe. It's its own entity and it has a personality of its own. So to give it a description is really difficult. But it is in the hard music vein. And when I heard the music, I was blown away. And I agreed. And they sent me the files [for the album]. And I recorded the drums in my home studio, and I sent it back. And they were pleased. And it's gonna be out — I hope — sometime in September."

Neil previously told NME that working on other projects, including EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, got him "through not touring — just knowing I can spend the year making new music."

He added: "I like putting myself in these positions where I'm like, 'I should never be doing this, so this is what I'm going to do.' I don't just want to do the same shit. Every time between records, I want to do something that's fucked up and off the wall. It brings me back to BIFFY, and I'm more in love with it now than I've ever been."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT last year but has since stopped touring with that band.

Photo credit: Gavin Smart

PANTERA's studio albums will make their picture-disc debuts in a new five-LP boxed set that spotlights the band's everlasting mark on the metal scene.

"The Complete Studio Albums 1990-2000" (picture discs) will be available exclusively online at Rhino.com, Pantera.com, and indie retailers on July 21, limited to 3,500 copies worldwide ($149.98). Each picture disc features the cover image from the original album. The career-spanning set also comes with a poster featuring all four members.

The hard-hitting collection unleashes a decade's worth of PANTERA's inimitable sound and fury from Philip Anselmo, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Rex Brown and Vinnie Paul Abbott. It includes the double-platinum albums "Cowboys From Hell" (1990) and "Vulgar Display Of Power" (1992),platinum albums "Far Beyond Driven" (1994) and "The Great Southern Trendkill" (1996) and the gold-certified record "Reinventing The Steel" (2000).

"Cowboys From Hell" debuted in 1990 and is the album that made PANTERA heroes to headbangers everywhere. After peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, the album went on to become one of the most influential metal albums of all time and was recently certified double platinum.

"Vulgar Display Of Power" arrived in 1992 and refined the band's heavier-than-heavy aesthetic with songs like "Mouth For War" while simultaneously showcasing the group's musical range on the haunting ballad "Hollow". The album was certified double platinum and spent 79 weeks on the Billboard 200, longer than any other PANTERA album.

The band's success continued in 1994 with "Far Beyond Driven", the most extreme album to ever debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Several tracks became fan favorites, including "5 Minutes Alone" and a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Planet Caravan". The single "I'm Broken" was nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" — the first of four Grammy nominations the band would earn.

"The Great Southern Trendkill" was released in 1996 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The platinum-certified album contains some of PANTERA's darkest lyrics and fastest tempos, including "Suicide Note Pt. II", nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance". Guitar World magazine ranked Dimebag's solo on "Floods" at No. 32 on its list of the greatest guitar solos of all time.

PANTERA's final studio album, "Reinventing The Steel", came out in 2000. The record peaked at No. 4 and was certified gold. The album features classics like "Goddamn Electric" and the Grammy Award-nominated single "Revolution Is My Name".

PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo and Brown recently 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 Abbott brothers, 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.

Up until his 2018 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.

LINKIN PARK's music video for "Numb" has surpassed two billion views on YouTube. The clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in March of 2007, was directed by band DJ Joe Hahn and was shot on location at Prague's Charles Bridge, with interior shots at Gymnázium Jana Keplera. The video's narrative follows a young artistic female student who is ridiculed and ostracized by her classmates.

Back in November 2018, the music video for "Numb" surpassed one billion views on YouTube. Following the death of singer Chester Bennington in July 2017, fans of the group launched an unofficial campaign to get the "Numb" video to that milestone, a mission that was completed nearly a year and a half later.

"Numb" is taken from LINKIN PARK's 2003 sophomore album "Meteora". It was the 13th and final song on the LP and was released as the third single from the record. It topped the Alternative chart for 12 weeks and the Rock chart for three. The video, directed by band DJ Joe Hahn, is the oldest uploaded clip on YouTube to cross the one-billion mark.

The song was remixed as "Numb/Encore", a collaboration between the band and rapper Jay-Z. Featured on the album "Collision Course", it was a massive hit for both artists and earned them the Grammy Award for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration."

LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda recalled a while back that "Numb/Encore" was one of the first things he came up with when the band was first approached to work with Jay-Z. "I was on the road at the time," he said. "I immediately opened up my laptop and went to the store and bought his a capellas, and I made basically the single and the B-side, I made 'Numb/Encore' and sent them to him. So we were off to a good start and we basically just started this kind of working relationship from there."

LINKIN PARK has not performed together in public since October 2017, when the surviving members staged a tribute concert in Los Angeles to Bennington. The band has not officially announced whether it intends to carry on following the death of Bennington, who committed suicide in July 2017 at the age of 41.

Italian metal titans LACUNA COIL have unleashed their recently announced single "Never Dawn". "Never Dawn" showcases LACUNA COIL's signature sound with its haunting melodies, powerful guitar riffs, and the mesmerizing vocal harmonies of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. The song delves into the depths of the human spirit, exploring themes of resilience, inner strength, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

For "Never Dawn", LACUNA COIL partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide". "Never Dawn" is a notable addition to CMON's latest Kickstarter project, "Zombicide: White Death", and was initially used as an instrumental version in a campaign trailer. The game introduces new characters, mechanics, and challenges for players to overcome, and the upcoming "White Death" version features five LACUNA COIL limited-edition survivor tokens.

Cristina comments on the new song: "First presented, in its instrumental version, in the trailer for Zombicide White Death game, and then in its live version, during our last sold-out show in L.A., we're so incredibly thrilled to finally unveil the full version of 'Never Dawn'! This song is a fierce survival journey throughout grotesque and frozen lands, where the power within is the main weapon. Ignite the fire in your heart and enjoy the listening!"

Designed by Nicolas Raoult, one of the designers of the original "Zombicide", along with Jean-Baptiste Lullien and Raphaël Guiton, "Zombicide: White Death" is a sequel to the fantasy spinoff version of "Zombicide" with a new wintery theme. The third installment in this series, it follows "Zombicide: Black Plague", which introduced the concept in 2016, and "Zombicide Green Horde", which came out in 2018.

LACUNA COIL has spent the last few months promoting "Comalies XX", the recently released "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15, 2022 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years on April 7, 2022 as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to the Atlanta concert, the last time LACUNA COIL played together was at the group's special September 2020 livestream event where the bandmembers performed their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety with no audience in attendance at the Alcatraz Club in Milan, Italy. That show was released as a live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", via Century Media.

LACUNA COIL hadn't played in front of a crowd since the completion of the band's South American tour in February 2020.

Photo credit: Cunene

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON have surprised fans with a new track, "AmEN!", featuring acclaimed rapper Lil Uzi Vert and hardcore legend Daryl Palumbo of GLASSJAW, out now via RCA.

Prior to "AmEN!"'s arrival, BRING ME THE HORIZON released the "LosT" single in May. Singer Oliver Sykes stated about the track: "I think ['LosT'] encapsulates exactly how I imagine this next album, or EP or whatever you want to call it, is going to sound like." He added that it feels like a "really good representation of how I imagine this record to be."

BRING ME THE HORIZON has reportedly been working on new music in a studio built into the back of the band's tour bus with producer Zakk Cervini, who previously helmed "Post Human: Survival Horror".

"AmEN!" arrives in advance of BRING ME THE HORIZON's U.S. tour with FALL OUT BOY, which begins June 27 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, Texas. The trek will take them to amphitheaters and pavilions across the States, with what is sure to be huge moments over two nights at BMO Area in Los Angeles July 2 and July 3 and at Boston's Fenway Park on August 2.

Prior to heading to the U.S., BRING ME THE HORIZON will make a very special headline appearance at Download festival on Friday, June 9.

BRING ME THE HORIZON has had an exhilarating few years — selling over five million albums globally to date, playing sold-out shows in over 50 countries, including two sold-out nights at London's O2, a night at The Forum in Los Angeles, wowing a traditionally non-rock crowd at Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and 2018 and a headline slot at 2022's Reading and Leeds festivals. They kicked off their "Post Human" era in 2020 with the release of the first of four EPs aptly titled "Post Human: Survival Horror". The critically acclaimed release debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Album chart. 2022 saw them appear at the BRIT Awards where they joined Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran for an electrifying performance of "Bad Habits". The group released its gold-certified sixth studio album, "Amo", in 2019, which debuted at No. 1 in 17 markets and was named "one of the most anticipated albums of 2019" by Billboard, it also garnered the band their second Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Album", after the LP's first single "Mantra" earned them a nod for "Best Rock Song" in 2018. The Sheffield five-piece also received its first BRIT Award nomination for "Best Group" in 2021. They have now also amassed over one billion video views on YouTube and are in the top 500 most streamed artists globally on Spotify.

BRING ME THE HORIZON is Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Mat Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish.

Photo credit: Jonti Wild

In a new interview with Headbangers News, guitarist Dino Cazares was asked when fans can expect to hear the first new music from FEAR FACTORY featuring the band's latest addition, singer Milo Silvestro. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That will not be until — a full album not till next year. But this year we're just trying to get a single out… You're gonna have to be patient. Right now we're doing a lot of touring. We're getting asked to do a lot of tours."

An early instrumental version of a new FEAR FACTORY song called "Roboticist" was made available in March to promote Toneforge Disruptor, a virtual guitar rig plugin and standalone app that simplifies guitar tone and provides all the necessary tools for guitarists, mixers, and producers to create detailed metal tones. Developed in collaboration with Cazares, it is the first virtual rig to offer DI Match Technology, String/Tuning Mode calibrations, and AI-matched Dino Cazares tones using a Neural Network algorithm. The plugin also includes an Autonomous Dynamic System, a built-In Dynamic EQ, three Amp Channels, a redesigned Cab Room, and a complete suite of effects pedals.

Cazares told BLABBERMOUTH.NET about "Roboticist", which was mixed by longtime FEAR FACTORY collaborator Damien Rainaud: "Initially it was just going to be a instrumental for the plugin, but it came out so good that I decided to make it a song for the new album. Maybe the album will be called the 'Roboticist'. It fits so well with our concept."

FEAR FACTORY's next LP will be the band's first with Silvestro, whose addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in late February.

The Italian-born Silvestro joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for the band's original singer Burton C. Bell.

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber on May 5 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

FEAR FACTORY's recently completed "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X marked the Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

Webber is filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who is unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

The 42-date "Rise Of The Machine" North American trek also featured DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

FEAR FACTORY will embark on a European tour this fall. The 44-date trek will mark the band's first European shows since 2016. Joining them on this run are BUTCHER BABIES from the USA and IGNEA from Ukraine.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside Heller.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Progressive metal band Drott, consisting of Arve Isdal (Enslaved), Ivar Thormodsæter (Ulver) and Matias Monsen, have released a music video for the song "Det Ser". The track is taken from their new album, Troll, which was released on May 19 via By Norse Music.


The band comments: "'Det Ser' is about defying the ties laid upon the trolls. A bombastic and uncompromising track built on tight guitar and cello riffs with Norwegian lyrics; “Si at vi har tenkt å bli!”, “Say we´re here to stay!”, capturing the manifestation of the hidden world of the forest night."







Troll is available on vinyl, CD, and digital at bynorsestore.com.





Tracklisting:


“Troldhaug”
“Allting”
“Våkenatt”
“Til Stein”
“Det Ser”
“Solskodde”
“Mara”
“Troll”
“Nattas Blot”
“Sabbat”
“Fornjots Born”
“Grotten”
“Natt”


“Våkenatt” video:





Album stream:

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover addressed the recent rumors that the band has been in talks with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore about reuniting for one final run before they call it quits. Asked if there is a chance of something like that happening, Glover responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not a chance. The rumors don't come from us, that's for sure. I mean, why on earth would we do that? I have the utmost regard for Ritchie as part of the band, and he was obviously an integral part of the band and what the band has become. But that's moving backwards. We don't move backwards; we move forwards."

The 77-year-old Glover was also asked about whether DEEP PURPLE would announce its eventual final show and whether such a concert would include some of the artists the band had previously performed with. "No, I don't think that's a great idea," he replied. "I've never liked that idea. In fact, I don't even like the idea of announcing the last show: 'And here they are. This is their last show.' I mean, the stress involved in that would be ridiculous. Where would it be? When would it be? For me, the ideal ending for PURPLE is that we just carry on until it stops. No announcement. We're not gonna announce, 'This is the last one.' People would buy tickets: 'Oh, this is the last one.' It's an exercise in making money. It's not very good. I've never liked it. I'd rather go and play and play and play and play, and one day when something happens and one of us drops dead or gets really ill or whatever, [we say], 'Well, that's that.' And leave it at that."

Blackmore, who celebrated his 78th birthday on April 14, is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable guitar riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 exit. Steve Morse effectively took over Blackmore's slot in 1994 and was in the group for 28 years — longer than Ritchie — before being officially replaced by Simon McBride in July 2022.

DEEP PURPLE frontman Ian Gillan most recently addressed the possibility of a Blackmore return in a November 2022 interview with Spain's RockFM. The 77-year-old singer said: "Look, DEEP PURPLE is a family that's been together before I joined. In '68, it was Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Nick Simper and Rod Evans. Roger Glover and I joined in '69. And in the intervening periods, there's been David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes and a couple of other guys. And then, when we grew up, when we settled down and the human chemistry was okay, we were getting on fine. We had the reunion with 'Perfect Strangers', but everything was slightly different. Ritchie was different, and I think we all were. Ritchie used to be my roommate in DEEP PURPLE; we used to party together. And I don't like to think of the negatives. I just have lots of fantastic memories of Ritchie as a great guitar player [with] a wicked sense of humor — and I mean wicked — and a professional, a real good guy, in that sense. But something changed in Ritchie when we got back together, and we'd all changed, and the human chemistry wasn't quite the same. So it became difficult. And in the end, there was this antagonism. And I got fired from the band because I wanted to do more touring, and Ritchie wanted to do less touring. And we had a meeting one day, and I said, 'Why don't we go to South America? Why don't we go to Russia? Why don't we go all over the world? We're a live band.' And the next day Ritchie went to the management and said, 'Well, it's him or me.' So they chose him. And that was fine. And then they made a record with — another singer; I can't remember his name. And the record label said, 'Either you get Ian back in the band or we're tearing up the contract.' So I went back in DEEP PURPLE, and Ritchie went crazy. He didn't like it. So eventually he walked out. So, in normal terms, in a family or something like that, because we are a family, you'd think it was like a divorce — something like that. He walked out; he's gone. But he wanted to keep control of the band after having walked out. And he's been a pain in the ass ever since. [Laughs] But we are getting on much better these days. I think his manager has got a lot to do with it, the problem that exists. So it's one of those things that you cope with."

Ian added: "I think the idea of a call for a grand reunion or something like that, it would be utterly disrespectful to the living, breathing DEEP PURPLE. It would be awful. The atmosphere would be terrible. It would be artificial. It would be only for money — nothing else. Because there's no love there. There's no affinity.

"Twenty-five percent of the essence of DEEP PURPLE is improvisation, and we've got a musician now that is absolutely unbelievable. And I don't know how much Ritchie has been practicing or anything like that.

"I could go on for a long time, but the simple answer is no. It's the ex-wife. We do not want to get back together again."

Gillan also spoke about his longstanding feud with Blackmore in a September 2021 interview with Vikram Chandrasekar of Tales From The Road. Asked if he was still in contact with Ritchie and whether there was any chance at all of the guitarist ever sharing the stage with DEEP PURPLE again, Ian said: "No. The answer to your question is yes, we are in touch. Tensions eased quite a lot after we got hold of our business affairs and sorted everything out. There were previous managers from the past who had not done things exactly as you would like. I didn't get paid for 10 years when I was with DEEP PURPLE — in the big years — and goodness knows what happened to all that. And there were other tensions too. And needless to say, it was all pretty nasty when we finished and Ritchie walked out. But we're too old for that now. We've both written some pleasant notes via our managers. I can't write to Ritchie or phone him because he doesn't have a telephone, he doesn't have a computer. He lives in a world of greensleeves — he lives in a medieval world, and he has messages given to him and that sort of thing. But he's sent some pleasant words to me, and I've sent some pleasant words to him. There are still issues; there are still bones of contention. I've seen a lot of rubbish being spoken — it's not worth even rising to the occasion — but I hear [former DEEP PURPLE singer] David Coverdale and others talking about what happened at the Rock And Roll Of Fame. Well, we were very kind to everybody, the current band. And we did invite Ritchie to play 'Smoke On The Water' with us at the ceremony, but he declined. So, [those] are just opportunistic remarks from the others.

"We've never had any antagonism towards Ritchie," Ian clarified. "He has his own interpretations, and the rest of us have our interpretations, so it's really not worth being fired up about it. But I think probably this late in our career, and with things moving along so pleasantly for the band, it would naturally enough — we discussed this years and years ago when it was first talked about — it would be a circus and it would be a distraction to everything we're doing, to be honest. It would be no fun at all, because we don't work that way anymore."

Blackmore previously suggested that PURPLE's manager had blocked him from joining his former bandmates onstage during the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, and he used that as an excuse for not attending the event.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

In late 2020, Coverdale expressed his exasperation at DEEP PURPLE for how he and Glenn Hughes were treated by their former band ahead of their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. The singer, who played with DEEP PURPLE along with Hughes from 1973 to 1976, said: "Once it had been announced that we were officially being inducted into it, the current DEEP PURPLE refused to go if Ritchie Blackmore was going to be there. And this was, like, 72 hours before, when I was ready to fly with my family. And this cost me, like, $75,000 [or] $85,000, because you have to pay for all the tables apart from the one you're on, and I had my daughter fly in from Germany, my son came out of college. It was a family affair."

He continued: "Suddenly, Glenn Hughes and I were told, 'Well, we don't want you singing with us.' Initially, I'd spoken to Ian [Gillan] about coming up and singing the backgrounds of 'Smoke On The Water', because originally they were going to close the show. So, that suddenly was pulled, the plug. They tried to stop us doing speeches, and my wife was fucking furious, apart from the fact she spent a fortune on posh dresses. [Laughs] And I said, 'Fuck it! Nobody's going to keep us off.' I got in touch with Carole, Ritchie's manager, and I said, 'Tell him to come with me. Nobody's going to fucking touch him. Tell him to come with me,' and he didn't want to do it."

Coverdale added: "The first thing I said when I was up there, was, 'None of us would have been standing here without Ritchie Blackmore,' and I made sure of that point. Steve Morse and Don Airey [current DEEP PURPLE keyboardist] were more complimentary to Glenn and I than the other guys. We had a blast; we had a fucking great time. I'm very happy that I am who I am, and I just talked to Glenn the other day about it: 'What the fuck was up their ass?!'"

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing has reflected on the band's appearance at the US Festival exactly four decades ago.

Sponsored by Steve Wozniak, formerly of Apple computer, the US Festival (US is an acronym for "Unite Us In Song"),held on Memorial Day of 1983, was a massive three-day celebration of technology and culture, with a temporary stage and open-air venue paid for by Wozniak himself just for the purposes of the festival. The event featured "Heavy Metal Day" on May 29, 1983 with the aforementioned JUDAS PRIEST along with the following stellar lineup: MÖTLEY CRÜE, OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, TRIUMPH, SCORPIONS and VAN HALEN.

The festivals included large air-conditioned tents featuring the US Festival Technology Exposition, a dazzling display of then-cutting-edge computers, software, and electronic music devices. Also making a debut were installations of "outdoor rain," perforated PVC nozzles that sprayed water to fight the fierce hundred-degree heat.

Despite the historical value of the performances, the festival was a failure, with two reported deaths at the 1983 festival and Wozniak and promoters losing some $24 million. Setbacks aside, the performances remain a worthy footnote in rock history.

In an audio message sent to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Downing looked back fondly on PRIEST's participation at US Festival, saying: "Hi there everyone. This is K.K. Downing just stopping wishing US, the US Festival a very happy 40th anniversary. And I must say, what a cherished memory that was for me and the band. Undoubtedly the biggest audience and biggest festival we ever certainly played or probably ever will play. Surely a one-off spectacular event.

"I remember, I recall well flying in to the festival and out of the festival via a helicopter," he continued. "They were saying that the crowd was so big that the best way to get in and out was that way, which was fantastic, obviously. Flying in to the festival, looking down through the helicopter windows, it was an astonishing sight.

"Yeah, I would love to do that all over again. A fantastic lineup, obviously, with so many people — Ozzy, ourselves and QUIET RIOT, VAN HALEN and TRIUMPH. It was just a fantastic experience. A difficult gig — it was probably 110 [degrees Fahrenheit] in the shade. But, yeah, we were certainly up for it and well oiled. I think we were on tour at the time, which was great.

"But, yeah, [it was] a wonderful experience," Downing added. "And a big hello to everyone that was there on either side of the barriers, working the stage, playing or, obviously, in the audience. It would be great if we could experience that again at some point in our lives. Until then, I wish you all good health and travel safe. And thank you all for keeping metal alive. And I hope to see you all out there on the road again very soon."

As previously reported, Downing's new band KK'S PRIEST will make its live debut on July 6 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. KK'S PRIEST will also make a couple of European festival appearances this summer, including the Time To Rock festival, set to take place July 8-10 in Knislinge, Sweden, and the Alcatraz open air hard rock and heavy metal festival, which will be held August 11-13 in Kortrijk, Belgium.

Downing is joined in KK'S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST will perform tracks from the band's debut album, 2021's "Sermons Of The Sinner", plus new material from KK'S PRIEST as-yet-unreleased second LP, plus many a PRIEST classic thrown in for good measure.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last November at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

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

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

Singer Ronnie Romero has confirmed in an interview with Rafabasa.com that he is no longer Michael Schenker's singer.


Romero: “You told me that we were going to talk about Michael Schenker, and the truth is that on Sunday I did my last concert with Michael. That's right, on Sunday I did my last concert at a festival in Germany, the Hard Rock Festival, and the next day I told Michael and his management that I was not going to continue in the band.”


Rafabasa.com: "Obviously there are things that shouldn't be told, that stay inside, but I imagine that the differences between you and Michael Schenker's direction have been determining factors for you to leave the band? Can we say that?"




Romero: “Yeah, in part, but it is a sum of things. It's been a long time since I recorded my solo album with original songs, it's a very special album for me because, as I've said, it's the first time that I'm totally involved in the composition, in the production. Andy and I have been in charge of the mix, production and everything, it was a special album and I wanted to give it some space and do my job to stop being the singer of... obviously it was good for my career and I'm very grateful to everyone, starting with Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker and many others, but I think it was time to see if I could walk on my own. But also there was certain discomforts because one considers that the treatment should be different at certain times, and because of that you get frustrated, disappointed, and it was time to leave. Apart from that, everything is fine, I don't have any bad feelings, we have a very good relationship, maybe he is the musician who has inspired me the most, but the time has come to make a decision and stop being someone else’s vocalist.”


Listen to the interview at Rafabasa.com.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, bassist Mike Levine of legendary Canadian rockers TRIUMPH was asked about a possible reunion of the band's classic lineup. He responded: "I don't think we're physically able to do that. We did three songs for the ['Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine'] documentary, and it was rough tooling up, 'cause Gil [Moore, drums] and I hadn't played in a while. But Rik [Emmett, guitar/vocals] is always playing; he's on the road a lot. So he had good patience, while we were hacking around. I was trying to figure out, 'Where is my hand going there?' And Gil's going, 'What's a drum?' [Laughs] But Rik had good patience. And after three or four rehearsals, we started to find a groove. And then when we actually did the gig for the fans for the documentary, [after] three songs we were [exhausted]… So the idea of a whole show… I don't think so. Rik can't really hit those notes like before. Even when you drop the key a bit, it's still not easy… So it's really tough, as you're getting older."

A year ago, Levine was asked by San Antonio Current what would have to happen to get the three members of the band to reunite for a full tour. He responded: "We would need to have the best medical people around us. [Laughs] All the ails of 70-year-olds that have been on the road to rock 'n' roll — playing loud music, sucking in flash powder smoke and dry ice smoke for years — to try to get us well enough to do 30 shows.

"In 2008, we had 30 shows done in Canada. That were already booked. And there were like 40 shows booked in America at that point. And then the recession hit. And it lasted through 2008, 2009 and most of 2010. When 2011 came, Live Nation called and the individual promoters said, 'What do you think?' We went, 'Eh, probably not.' We're now three and a half years older. We've got whatever ailments we've got, and it was never about the money. It was always about the legacy more than anything. Could we have made a bunch of money? Yes. But it would've been embarrassing if we only did half houses with the recession, with the Rust Belt in the Midwest, even San Antonio. You name it, everyone was hurting. No one can afford to go to concerts when they've lost their jobs. It's horrible. So, we just went, 'Let's take if off the table.' And every year the offers would come in to go do some stadium shows. And it's way too much work to do that, to get a crew, rehearse, to go out and do four shows. And it wouldn't be our show. We'd just be part of a package. It would be like doing another US Festival or something. The fans would want to see us indoors, with the big show, and if we didn't do it that way, then there's no point."

Levine previously touched upon TRIUMPH's aborted reunion tour in 2021 in an interview with Rock History Music. At the time he said: "Well, we [reunited for] a couple of [shows] — in the 2000s. In 2008, we played over in Sweden — we did a festival there — and a show in Oklahoma, I think called Rocklahoma. And we were gonna go on the road, and then the recession came. There was plans, there was buildings on hold, everything was starting to fall into place. And then when the recession [came], we talked to the promoters, and everybody just said, 'For you guys, it would be embarrassing if you go out and do three quarters of a house instead of selling out.' It was horrible. Concerts were dying everywhere. You couldn't sell a ticket in the Midwest. It didn't matter who you were. THE BEATLES would have had trouble selling tickets. So we just [put it on hold]. And then the recession lasted a couple of years. And then we decide, you know what? We're a couple of years older. Maybe we can't do it — the idea of a big tour. 'Cause we were looking at maybe doing 60, 70 dates over the course of a year and a half or so. And the investment and the production and all that, to put it all together, and the time — just rehearsal time and everything else. So we decided, you know what? It's probably not in the best interest in all of us. It's not like everybody was going, 'Yeah, we've gotta do it.' We all just went, 'Not a good idea anymore.'"

Released a year ago, "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine", produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning Banger Films (ALICE COOPER, IRON MAIDEN, RUSH and ZZ TOP),covers TRIUMPH's humble beginnings as staples of the GTA circuit in the mid-'70s to their heyday as touring juggernauts, selling out arenas and stadiums all across North America with their legendary spectacular live shows — and way beyond.

Moore, Levine, and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Swedish death metal pioneers, Dismember, have announced the upcoming release of the Historia Mortis 12LP box set, strictly limited to 1,000 copies.





Set for release on July 21, the pre-sale starts June 2 at midnight, CET, at dismember.merchants.se, and 11 AM, CEST nblast.de/DismemberShopInt.




In addition to the Historia Mortis box set, standalone physical re-issues of the Dismember catalog will be available on CD and vinyl throughout 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.


Stay tuned for further details.