Shane Hawkins, the son of late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, joined the band on stage last night (Friday, May 26) at the Boston Calling festival to perform the song "I'll Stick Around".

"How about we do a song with one of my favorite drummers in the world? Would you guys please welcome Shane Hawkins," FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl told the crowd before he and his bandmates launched into the track.

Shane previously honored his late father with the FOO FIGHTERS at a pair of tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles.

In July 2022, Shane teamed up with the California band THE ALIVE to play drums on "My Hero" during a Fourth Of July Laguna Beach block party.

In 2018, Shane joined his father and Grohl on drums for a cover of THE ROLLING STONES' "Miss You" at a CHEVY METAL show in 2018.

Hawkins died in March 2022 in Bogota, Colombia due to a reported cardiovascular collapse at the age of 50.

He left behind his wife Alison Hawkins and three children —Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.

FOO FIGHTERS played their first official concert with new drummer Josh Freese Wednesday night (May 24) at Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire.

FOO FIGHTERS will make a few other festival stops, including Bonnaroo in June, Festival D'Ete De Quebec in July, Outside Lands in August, the Ohana, also in August, and Chicago's Riot Fest in September.

The band revealed Freese as part of its new touring lineup on Sunday (May 21) during a pre-tour livestream called "Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts". Freese was unveiled as the drummer during the livestream after comedic cameos by Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Tommy Lee of MÖTLEY CRÜE and Danny Carey of TOOL.

FOO FIGHTERS' 11th album, "But Here We Are", will be released on June 2 on Roswell/RCA.

The reunited original lineup of BIOHAZARD — guitarist/vocalist Billy Gradziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel, drummer Danny Schuler and bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld — played its first show in 12 years last night (Friday, May 26) at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Fan-filmed video and photos of the concert can be found below. (Videos courtesy of Demon Head TV, Dustin Leos, Metal Edge, CervicalBiopsy and Tracy Cook channels on YouTube.)

The setlist was as follows:

01. Urban Discipline
02. Down For Life
03. Tales From The Hard Side
04. Black And White And Red All Over
05. Wrong Side Of The Tracks
06. Shades Of Grey
07. Five Blocks To The Subway
08. Howard Beach
09. How It Is
10. Tears Of Blood
11. Scarred For Life
12. Love Denied
13. We're Only Gonna Die (BAD RELIGION cover)
14. Punishment
15. Hold My Own

BIOHAZARD has announced a number of other appearances throughout 2023, including multiple international festivals in the summer, as well as select appearances in America.

This past January, Schuler told Dan Shinder of Drum Talk TV, Schuler about how BIOHAZARD came back together: "We haven't toured in about seven years, almost eight years. In about 2015, [that] was the last year of touring. We wrapped it up after that. We went in the studio to go do a record and things just kind of imploded; everybody's a bunch of crazy personalities. In the ensuing years, we didn't do anything as BIOHAZARD. And then about a year and a half ago, my brother, who lives in Torrance, California, was flying back home to New York to come see everybody. And he gets to the airport here, and he says to me, 'You won't believe who I saw at the airport.' And I said, 'Who was that?' And he goes, 'I saw Evan,' the bass player from BIOHAZARD, Evan Seinfeld, who I hadn't spoken to in 10 years. And they had a good conversation, and it was cordial. And he basically sent a message through my brother, 'Tell Danny I said hi.' So a week later, I'm going on vacation. I'm feeling good. I'm going down to the beach house here in [New] Jersey with my wife and my kids, and I said to my wife, 'Maybe I should call him' — you know, just bury the hatchet. Who cares anymore? Like everybody, COVID and all these people dying and all this stuff, it's, like, who the hell cares about all that old stuff that made you mad. So my wife was, like, 'Yeah, why don't you give him a call? Don't be an asshole. Call him.'

"Anyway, long story short, I did call him and we spoke," he continued. "And we just kind of buried the hatchet. And the other guys in the band, Bobby and Billy, had been speaking, and we've been speaking, and everybody just kind of started talking a little bit. And unfortunately, our former manager, Scott Koenig, who was out in Los Angeles, he passed away. And that was a real moment where it was, like, 'Wow.' Scott was with us from the beginning, and he was like a fifth member of the band. … That was in October of '21. … I got that call. And the same week, another friend of ours from a band called DOG EAT DOG, our friend Sean Kilkenny passed away the same day as Scott. So it was two phone calls, two brothers, two great, close friends, like family, both passed at the same time. And for me, that was kind of one of those things where it's just, like, who cares about all the negative bullshit in the past? Who cares? We're still here. We did great stuff together. We created something cool. We should all be friends. And that was my thinking. And everyone kind of felt the same way. And that kind of was the beginning of how it started, getting the band together."

As for the possibility of a new BIOHAZARD album, Schuler said: "Making new music wasn't really something I was really thinking about too much, but it's come up so much in the last few months since we've been talking about all this stuff. So we'll see how it goes. There's definitely interest there for us to do it. I just hope we can do it. I wanna be able to do it at the level we always did it at.

"I write a lot of music on my own, of course, but I'm very much into collaboration," he explained. "I've always needed a partner, or partners, to really bring the best out of me, to challenge myself. And I always loved getting in a room with these guys. We've always come up with great stuff when we're in the right mindset to do it. So I'm excited to get in a room with them and just let shit fly. I have the energy for it, I'm ready and I'm excited to do it, and I think they are too. So I'm hopeful that we're gonna make something really cool and different and innovative."

In addition to touring, BIOHAZARD has a 35th-anniversary documentary in the works containing previously unreleased footage spanning four decades.

"BIOHAZARD is an iconic band that ripped it up on the streets of New York when I lived there in the late '80s and early '90s, so I'm excited to be working with them to bring their pioneering hardcore sound to a new generation," said Andy Gould (ROB ZOMBIE, PANTERA, TYPE O NEGATIVE). The band is managed by Gould and Paul Gargano and booked by Jim Morewood at the K2 Agency internationally, and Steve Sokol at Pinnacle in North America.

Stated Graziadei: "Over the years, we made some great music together and had so many incredible shows on some pretty amazing tours. After spending so much time and focus on POWERFLO and my solo project BILLYBIO, things just fell in place at the right time and I decided it was the time to recapture that energy and go kick ass again with the original lineup of BIOHAZARD with DannyBobby, and Evan!"

Added Hambel: "I'm honored to perform with the band again. I can't wait to get onstage with the guys and do what we do! I'm looking forward to traveling and playing live. See you out there!"

Stated Seinfeld: "It's been ten years since we all played together, and I'm in a huge place of gratitude for the opportunity to get back to the roots of BIOHAZARD and not only reconnect with the other guys, but also the fans. We've been through decades of madness, and it feels like the fantastic four are back together."

Last year, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, had been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band seven years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

In an August 2020 interview with the "Aftershocks" podcast, Roberts said that he left BIOHAZARD because he "wasn't happy" anymore. "There was one guy that I wasn't getting along with very well, and it made touring not fun anymore for me," he said. "My reason to stick around was to make a new record that was great and I'd be proud of and all that stuff, and then it became kind of clear that wasn't gonna happen, so I was, like, 'What am I doing it for?' So I quit."

Seinfeld made his last recorded appearance with BIOHAZARD on 2012's "Reborn In Defiance" album, which marked the first LP featuring the band's original lineup in 18 years.

Graziadei is currently a member of POWERFLO, which also features former FEAR FACTORY bassist/guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers, Sen Dog from CYPRESS HILL, and Rogelio Lozano from DOWNSET.

Billy's solo project, BILLYBIO, released a new album, "Leaders And Liars", in March 2022 via AFM Records.

Videos courtesy of Demon Head TV, Dustin Leos, Metal Edge, CervicalBiopsy and Tracy Cook channels on YouTube.

Biohazard Milwaukee metalfest 🤘

Posted by Barry Melloch on Saturday, May 27, 2023

Closing out day 1 of Milwaukee Metal Fest with Biohazard’s OG lineup in The Eagles Ballroom! See you all tomorrow for day 2! 🎸

Posted by The Rave / Eagles Club on Friday, May 26, 2023

BIOHAZARD Absolutely Destroying the Milwaukee Metal Fest!!

Posted by Bob Rowe on Friday, May 26, 2023

The reformed PANTERA played its first European concert Friday night (May 26) at Arena Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria. The performance marked PANTERA's first live appearance 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 Sofia concert was as follows:

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 setlist for its recent shows has included one song which hadn't been performed live since the band's comeback last year: "Suicide Note Pt. II", from PANTERA's 1996 album "The Great Southern Trendkill".

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 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.

Benante opened up about his participation in PANTERA's return during a recent interview with "THAT Rocks!", the new weekly YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. Speaking about some of the criticism he has received for his involvement with PANTERA, Charlie said: "People had their preconceived notions of what they were gonna think: 'Oh, I don't dig this without Vinnie and Dime.' And of course… What do you think? We don't know that Vinnie and Dime are not with us anymore? But when we start playing the songs and you just see the faces in the crowd, all that shit goes out the window, the negative stuff that has been said.

"Man, that's all I ever wanted to do, is just come and do this and make people hear these songs again," he explained. "And that's what it's all about, really. It's about the music."

Asked who was in charge of making the decision to use the name PANTERA for the new lineup instead of calling it a tribute or naming it something else, Charlie said: "It wasn't me. [Laughs] For us it was about the celebration of the music and Dime and Vinnie; that's what it was about since day one. No one called it a tribute; no one called it a reunion. It can't be a reunion. This is a celebration of the music of PANTERA. Come and enjoy it. And that's it. That's all could do."

Benante also talked about his personal connection to Dimebag and Vinnie, saying: "Yeah. I loved those two guys, man. You never think that certain things would ever, ever happen, and then when it does, you sit back and think, like, 'How did this happen so fast? How did this time just slip by?' And Darrell's been gone for a while now. But it doesn't change how we all miss him and feel him.

"Every show that we play… [Longtime PANTERA engineer, bass tech and friend] Sterling [Winfield], who used to work for PANTERA — still does, in a sense. The first show, he came to Mexico City and he brought me one of Darrell's wristbands and a pair of Vinnie's gloves that they used. And every show that I've played so far, I wear the wristband and Vinnie's glove is in my pocket because I feel like they're with me. And I do that for every show, and I'll continue to do that for every other show we play. It just has significance."

Benante previously discussed his involvement in PANTERA's comeback during a recent interview with Consequence. Addressing the negative comments he has received for his participation, Charlie said: "I don't go [online] looking for [people's negative comments about it]. There's people that send me, 'Hey, did you see this?' And I'm, like, 'Why did you send me this? Why ruin my day?'

"I think the people who do these things, these comments, I don't even think they realize how much of an effect that they could have on people," he continued. "And whether or not you hate the situation, or whatever it is, why can't you find some sort of restraint? Why do you need to say this thought that you have? Can't you just hold it in and maybe be, like, 'I'll keep my thoughts to myself.' No, they've gotta tell you. I've never seen more of it in my life than I [did] in these past couple of months about just people judging."

Regarding his personal approach to playing the parts originally written and recorded by Vinnie Paul, Charlie said: "I just spent a lot of time on Vinnie's parts and more importantly the tone that Vinnie had because I wanted it to sound like PANTERA. That was my thing. And my drum configuration is different from the ANTHRAX one because I wanted to challenge myself to play those parts like he played them in that configuration, which, to me, was more important than anything. But yet people still have to find some problem in that."

According to Benante, the initial rehearsals for the PANTERA comeback tour were "an emotional thing" for Philip and Rex "too, because they hadn't played as a group, those two hadn't played together in a long time, playing PANTERA songs. Yeah, they played [together] in DOWN, but this was an emotional thing for them," Charlie said. "And I remember after the week of rehearsals that we did, saying goodbye was weird, because it was an emotional thing; we really kind of bonded, the three of us. Zakk wasn't there at the time. But for me, I knew I had done something right."

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.

The RichG LIVE YouTube channel has uploaded video of FOZZY's May 11 performance at RISE Rooftop in Houston, Texas as the support act for UGLY KID JOE. Check out the clips below.

In a recent interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz, FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho was asked if fans won't have to wait another five years to hear the follow-up to the band's 2022 album "Boombox". He responded: "I think that maybe the days of doing full-length records for us are done. We spent the better part of three years on ['Boombox'] and we had three Top 10 hits — 'Sane', 'Nowhere To Run' and 'I Still Burn' — and we played three other songs live: 'The Vulture Club', 'Purifier', 'Relax'. But the other six songs are kind of gone; they're, like, residing in the FOZZY dead-song burial ground. Because you can't really play them live, 'cause you can only do so much new material live, 'cause we have so many other songs we have to do. And they weren't released as singles, so you spend all the time on 'Army Of One' and 'Omen' and 'The Worst Is Yet To Come' — those are all great tunes — 'My Great Wall', 'Ugly [On The Inside]'; those could all be hits. So instead of releasing those types of songs on an album where they're not gonna be heard, we're gonna, I think, start releasing one song at a time. And instead of waiting two years for a new FOZZY record, there'll be a new song every four or five months. I think that's the way to do it. And that's what we're gonna start doing. We're actually working on our new song right now, which should be out hopefully in the fall."

Jericho previously floated the possibility of FOZZY focusing on singles in an interview last month with the ALT 105.1 radio station. He said at the time: "I think [what] we're gonna try to do [going forward] is just release a single every three or four months and keep the product always there and not waste the songs. 'Cause that's what you're doing when you put out a great record. You spend so much time on every one of these songs, meticulously creating them and they're your children, and then they just never really… unless you buy the record and listen to the record. There's only so many songs you can play live from a new album when you have as many albums as we do. So that might be something we will look [to do] in the future — just doing one song at a time… And then every song you can release as a single and give it its chance to go where it's gonna go."

Jericho added: "I'm from the generation where you would go… When the new IRON MAIDEN [album] is coming out, you'd go down and take the bus every Saturday: 'Is it out yet? No.' And then finally you walk through and you hear the music and you see the wall of MAIDEN records. That was such a great moment in a kid's life. But things have changed. No kid knows what a record store is now. You just go on Spotify and listen to the songs you wanna hear. So you've gotta roll with the times. Obviously, putting out a new record is a piece of art, but I think song by song you can do the same. Plus you get a different cover for every one. So I think it just adds to more of a marketing plan. I think it's just better for the music itself as well."

The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed 2.5 million views.

FOZZY is currently on the road with UGLY KID JOE as part of the latter band's first tour of the United States in 27 years.

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Rich Ward (guitar).

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Jericho, Ward, Brooks, Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

British extreme metal titans CRADLE OF FILTH have entered Grindstone Studio in Suffolk, U.K. to begin recording their new album.

On Thursday (May 25),the band shared a few photos from the studio on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "We're on our way Filthlings! From [CRADLE drummer] Martin 'Marthus' Skaroupka Just finished recording drums for the new CRADLE OF FILTH album and it's sounding amazing so far! Great to be working with our producer Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studio again!"

Last month, CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following. Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios, with recording captured by Danny B, the effort not only features a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's discography but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

Asked in a recent interview with Decibel if the two new songs on the record indicate what the next CRADLE OF FILTH album will sound like, vocalist Dani Filth said: "Maybe a little bit but no. It's pretty hard to explain, I can't really talk about it. The new album has a 'Dusk… And Her Embrace' vibe to it. But no, we moved on from that. We started writing as a collective after that, these were stopgap songs that originally were intended toward a new album but because of the pandemic, it delayed everything and they found themselves out there. We just thought it was best to put them on the new record."

He added: "A record takes up so much of your time. It's a monument to a band's career, a lot of effort gone into it, a lot of time gone into it. It deserves its own sort of place and each album will have its own unique identity that's in place due to whatever outside due influence is happening at the time. People in the band, when they recorded, there's so many things that determine what an album's about. Of course each and every one is hopefully going to have a very strong and different identity to the previous one and also the future one."

In a separate interview with Echoes And Dust, Filth said the new CRADLE OF FILTH album will "be recorded this year and out next year. We've got the live album and then we have our collab with Ed Sheeran coming out later in the year. We're going to record it in May, but we also will be working on it behind some festivals. A record will be delivered to the record company at the end of the summer. And it'll be out, I reckon, in April next year."

Earlier this month, Dani was asked by BLABBERMOUTH.NET if he envisions the next CRADLE OF FILTH studio album staying in the same vein as "Cryptoriana" or "Existence Is Futile". He responded: "It's not going to be a million miles away from that. I've been working on some of the material today. We're putting the finishing touches on the songs we're going to record, whether all of them make the grade or not. It has a 'Dusk… And Her Embrace' vibe to them. Musically, it plays across 'Dusk' and 'Midian', but lyrically, and the vibe of it, it has a 'Dusk… And Her Embrace' feel to it. I don't know why. History repeats itself. Maybe it's because we wrote 'Dusk' around this particular time of year, but it has that vibe. It sounds great, but I would say that, wouldn't I?"

We’re on our way Filthlings! 🤘🏻 From Martin 'Marthus' Skaroupka Just finished recording drums for the new Cradle of...

Posted by Cradle of Filth on Thursday, May 25, 2023

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "Blackened" at the third show of the band's "M72" world tour on May 17 at Stade De France in Paris, France 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 Paris show with "For Whom The Bell Tolls", marking the first time that song has opened a METALLICA concert since February 2016. The group's 16-song set also included three new songs from the "72 Seasons" album: "Lux Æterna", "Screaming Suicide" and "Sleepwalk My Life Away".

The setlist was as follows:

01. For Whom The Bell Tolls (first time as show opener since February 5, 2016)
02. Ride The Lightning
03. Holier Than Thou
04. I Disappear (tour debut)
05. Lux Æterna
06. Screaming Suicide
07. Fade To Black
08. Sleepwalk My Life Away
09. Orion
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Sad But True
12. The Day That Never Comes
13. Blackened (tour debut)
14. Fuel
15. Seek & Destroy
16. Master Of Puppets

Opening acts 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 PARIS 🇫🇷
Stade de France

The #M72 World Tour makes its way to Paris for night one of our “No Repeat Weekend”! Headed to the show? Share your experiences using the #M72Paris hashtag.

Remember! While we’re in Paris, no songs will be repeated. Any guesses what we’ll… pic.twitter.com/xz2ixvonLB

— Metallica (@Metallica) May 17, 2023

Keanu Reeves's 1990s and early 2000s grunge band DOGSTAR played its first concert following a two-decade-long hiatus on Saturday (May 27) at the BottleRock music festival in Napa Valley, California. Reeves and his bandmates debuted new music from their forthcoming album, including a song called "Glimmer".

Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

DOGSTAR, which hadn't performed live since October 2002, announced its return on Instagram last summer and has been posting regular updates on the progress of its recording sessions.

DOGSTAR's upcoming release will be the band's first collection of new music since its 2000 sophomore effort "Happy Ending".

In a recent Instagram post, Reeves and his DOGSTAR bandmates confirmed that they will begin making some of its new music available this summer.

"Thank you everyone for the kind comments. We are overjoyed to see such a response," the band wrote. "Honestly, didn't expect this. It makes us want to play out even more.

"We will be rolling out some new music this summer, followed by some gigs. As soon as it's all figured out we will let everyone know immediately. So much to do, but rest assured, we are on it and have assembled a fantastic team that are helping us. We are also going to make a music video to support our first tune. That's all I can say now.

"Can't wait to share our new music with everyone. It's the most satisfying and meaningful batch of songs we've ever done. Thanks again for being so patient with us. We truly have the best, most loyal fans!"

Reeves co-founded DOGSTAR in 1991, and the band subsequently released two albums, toured with BON JOVI and opened a show for David Bowie. Keanu handled bass and backing vocals for DOGSTAR, but eventually his increasing fame made it difficult to find time for the project, and the band broke up in 2002. He later played in the spinoff group BECKY with DOGSTAR drummer, co-founder and actor Robert Mailhouse, but he left that band after just a year.

In a 2019 interview with GQ, Reeves shared a fond memory from when DOGSTAR was inexplicably booked at the 1992 Milwaukee Metal Fest, alongside acts like AGNOSTIC FRONT, CANNIBAL CORPSE, OBITUARY and DEICIDE.

"We played Milwaukee Metal Fest. Got killed. I think we played close to [New York hardcore punk legends] MURPHY'S LAW. Imagine," Reeves told GQ. "So we played a GRATEFUL DEAD cover, at Milwaukee Metal Fest. We were, like, 'They hate us. What are we doing here? What can we do? Let's do THE GRATEFUL DEAD cover…They were just like, Fuck you, you suck. I had the biggest grin on my face, man."
New Addition to BottleRock 2023!🔥

Dogstar featuring Bret Domrose, Rob Mailhouse, and Keanu Reeves will be performing brand new songs. Catch their first major performance in decades on Saturday, May 27th 🤘 pic.twitter.com/MgdfpjRR9V

— BottleRock Napa (@BottleRockNapa) May 10, 2023

The official Milwaukee Metal Fest pre-party took place last night (Thursday, May 25) at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The very special "Jasta And Friends" lineup included performances by organizer Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED),Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),Chris Garza (SUICIDE SILENCE),Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR),Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, KK'S PRIEST),Rob Dukes (GENERATION KILL, EXODUS),Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),Robb Flynn (MACHINE HEAD) as well as guests Somnuri and Yotuma while DJ Danny Diablo spun the house tunes. The event was free to attend for any Milwaukee Metal Fest ticket holder.

The rebooted Milwaukee Metal Fest is taking place on Memorial Day Weekend — May 26-28 — at The Rave/Eagles club.

The iconic multi-day event has been defunct since the mid-2000s, but is returning this year after Jasta purchased the rights to the festival in 2022.

"The infamous Milwaukee Metal Fest created so many memories, hosted legendary bands, and gave up and comers something to aspire to. Memorial Day Weekend 2023 (May 26, 27, and 28) — it returns with a stacked line up and a new lease on life," says Jasta. "I cannot wait to see all the bands and hang with everyone in Milwaukee. I'm so grateful for [booking agent] Tim Borror and the Sound Talent Crew; and Leslie, Joe, and everyone at The Rave/Eagles for helping us put this event together. Milwaukee Metal Fest is back! See you in Wisconsin this May!"

Says Borror: "Milwaukee Metal Fest was such a huge part of the metal culture back in the day, and it really helped a lot of bands. It was always at The Rave and the combo is iconic. Working with Jamey, the great people at The Rave, and all the bands to bring it back in 2023 is fucking incredible. This is going to be a great event, don't miss it!"

Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 schedule:

Friday, May 26:

Doors @ 2:00 p.m.

Martyrstore.net Stage:

2:30 - 2:50 p.m. || AGE OF THE FALLEN
3:05 - 3:25 p.m. || MANTRA OF MORTA
3:40 - 4:05 p.m. || DISINTER
4:20 - 4:45 p.m. || MISFIRE
5:05 - 5:30 p.m. || IMPALER
5:50 - 6:15 p.m. || MORBID SAINT
6:35 - 7:00 p.m. || PUTRID PILE
7:20 - 7:45 p.m. || IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT
8:05 - 8:30 p.m. || GOST
8:55 - 9:20 p.m. || NOVEMBERS DOOM

IndieMerchStore.com Stage:

2:35 - 2:55 p.m. || SQUIDHAMMER
3:10 - 3:35 p.m. || TOXIC RUIN
3:50 - 4:20 p.m. || KHEMMIS
4:35 - 5:05 p.m. || DEFEATED SANITY
5:30 - 6:00 p.m. || MIDNIGHT
6:25 - 6:55 p.m. || VIO-LENCE
7:15 - 7:55 p.m. || CROWBAR
8:15 - 9:00 p.m. || NAPALM DEATH
9:30 - 10:15 p.m. || REVENGE

Knotfest.com Stage:

3:40 - 4:05 p.m. || ALLEGAEON
4:20 - 4:45 p.m. || WARBRINGER
5:05 - 5:35 p.m. || DEEDS OF FLESH
5:50 - 6:20 p.m. || GOATWHORE
6:40 - 7:20 p.m. || CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
7:40 - 8:20 p.m. || DYING FETUS
8:50 - 9:35 p.m. || DARK ANGEL
10:20 - 11:20 p.m. || BIOHAZARD

Saturday, May 27:

Doors @ 1:00 P.M.

Martyrstore.net Stage:

2:20 - 2:45 p.m. || MRSA
3:05 - 3:30 p.m. || ENGINEERED SOCIETY PROJECT
3:50 - 4:15 p.m. || VERMILLION
4:35 - 5:00 p.m. || ROSE FUNERAL
5:20 - 5:45 p.m. || SWOLLEN TEETH
6:05 - 6:30 p.m. || MICAWBER
6:50 - 7:20 p.m. || INGROWN
8:05 - 8:35 p.m. || RIPPER

IndieMerchStore.com Stage:

2:05 - 2:30 p.m. || PHOBOPHILIC
2:50 - 3:15 p.m. || MALIGNANCY
3:35 - 4:00 p.m. || MACABRE
4:20 - 4:50 p.m. || BLOOD INCANTATION
5:10 - 5:40 p.m. || FROZEN SOUL
6:00 - 6:30 p.m. || JUNGLE ROT
6:55 - 7:25 p.m. || IMMOLATION
7:45 - 8:15 p.m. || RAVEN
8:35 - 9:15 p.m. || OBITUARY

Knotfest.com Stage:

2:25 - 2:55 p.m. || UNDEATH
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. || MISERY INDEX
4:15 - 4:45 p.m. || TERROR
5:20 - 6:00 p.m. || FEAR FACTORY
6:20 - 7:05 p.m. || THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
7:25 - 8:10 p.m. || SHADOWS FALL
9:10 - 10:00 p.m. || SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
10:30 - 11:40 p.m. || ANTHRAX

SUNDAY, MAY 28:

Doors @ 1:00 p.m.

Martyrstore.net Stage:

2:00 - 2:20 p.m. || DEMONSCAR
2:35 - 2:55 p.m. || DEAD BY WEDNESDAY
3:10 - 3:35 P.M. || HATH
3:50 - 4:15 P.M. || HIGH COMMAND
4:35 - 5:00 P.M. || FUMING MOUTH
5:20 - 5:45 P.M. || MOLDER
6:05 - 6:30 P.M. || THROWN INTO EXILE
6:50 - 7:15 P.M. || PISSING RAZORS
7:45 - 8:15 P.M. || UNEARTH
8:30 - 8:50 P.M. || UNEARTH Meet & Greet

IndieMerchStore.com Stage:

2:05 - 2:30 p.m. || GATES TO HELL
2:45 - 3:10 p.m. || CASKET ROBBERY
3:30 - 3:55 p.m. || MORTA SKULD
4:15 - 4:40 p.m. || VENDED
5:00 - 5:25 p.m. || DEAD TO FALL
5:40 - 6:05 p.m. || BODYSNATCHER
6:25 - 6:55 p.m. || ANGELUS APATRIDA
7:20 - 7:50 p.m. || GATECREEPER
8:55 - 9:25 p.m. || CEPHALIC CARNAGE

Knotfest.com Stage:

2:20 - 2:45 p.m. || REPENTANCE
3:05 - 3:35 p.m. || DYING WISH
3:55 - 4:25 p.m. || BROKEN HOPE
4:55 - 5:30 p.m. || SANGUISUGABOGG
5:50 - 6:30 p.m. || THE HALO EFFECT
6:50 - 7:30 p.m. || AFTER THE BURIAL
8:10 - 9:00 p.m. || MACHINE HEAD
9:30 - 10:40 p.m. || LAMB OF GOD ("As The Palaces Burn" 20th-anniversary set)

TODAY at The Rave / Eagles Club! 🤘💀

Tonight's Jasta & Friends Milwaukee Metal Fest Pre-Party was an absolute rager!...

Posted by Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 - Music Festival Wizard on Friday, May 26, 2023

Milwaukee Metal Fest Pre-Party with Jasta & Friends
Milwaukee Metal Fest
The Rave / Eagles Club

Posted by Tim Ripper Owens "Official Page" on Friday, May 26, 2023

Had an awesome time at the Milwaukee Metal Fest Pre-Party with Jasta & Friends. Tim "Ripper" Owens and Jamey Jasta you...

Posted by Stephanie Ruggles on Friday, May 26, 2023

Milwaukee Metal Fest pre party and some other cool stuff!!!!

Posted by Robin Windstein on Thursday, May 25, 2023

TONIGHT: Milwaukee Metal Fest Pre-Party with Jasta & Friends! 🤘🔥

🕕 Party starts at 6PM
🎟️ FREE entry for Milwaukee Metal Fest ticket holders!

** Must show your MMF 2023 ticket for free entry **

Posted by The Rave / Eagles Club on Thursday, May 25, 2023

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL have released a 37-minute documentary about the 20th anniversary of their third studio album, "Comalies". You can now watch it below.

In a video announcing the release of the documentary, LACUNA COIL co-vocalist Andrea Ferro said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As many of you know, last year we recorded a new version of the album called 'Comalies XX' to celebrate these 20 years and we have decided to remake, basically, all the songs, and give them different arrangements, a bit more in the vein of the current sound of LACUNA COIL, so with the new lineup playing the songs, with the new set up with the five bandmembers. And we decided instead [of] just to do a remaster of 'Comalies', do a proper restyling and a complete new version, just as a way to celebrate and to bring 'Comalies' in the current times of LACUNA COIL."

Added co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia: "This video, the complete one, was presented for the very first time during a very special and super-, super-limited meet-and-greet right before the celebration gig of 'Comalies XX' back last year in Milano. And we decided to make it available for everyone as a bigger celebration, starting today, obviously after the streaming of it."

She added: "It is a collection of memories. It was put together by Isabella D'Alessandro. There is a lot of material — not only filmed by Isabella, but also filmed by ourselves, by fans. We put everything together to kind of put together, of course, in a few minutes the story of 'Comalies'. So you will see a lot of backstage [clips]."

"Comalies XX", a "deconstructed" and "transported" version of "Comalies", was released last October.

Back in 2002, LACUNA COIL released an LP which is now undeniably an anthem-laden millennial classic that established them as a band with the stamina to go the distance. Now, 20 years later, the current lineup of LACUNA COIL decided to revisit the songs, but not to just re-record them as they were but deconstruct and transport them into 2022.

When asked in an interview with Australia's Heavy why LACUNA COIL decided to rework "Comalies", Scabbia said: "The main reason is that it is the twentieth anniversary of this record. And we didn't want to simply do a remaster or a repackaging, because it's a record that means a lot to is. It's a record that made us level up in the game, that allowed us to make music as a full-time job. And we love the songs. So we started to ask ourselves, how would it sound if we were to write it in 2022? And the idea just started to develop and get more and more interesting. [And we thought] why don't we do it for real? In a moment in which we were starting to write again, after the pandemic, because [the pandemic] got us really not creative on a certain level. We didn't want any music to be connected with the pandemic because it was a very negative period. So we started to work on the songs, and they were sounding really good, because, of course, they came from the old ones, from the core of the old songs, but they were sounding really fresh, like we were writing a new record. And it's so cool that now a lot of fans are confused because they don't know anymore if they love more the original versions or these versions, which is a good sign."

Added Ferro: "We didn't know what to expect from the fans. When you're gonna touch classic records, it's always hard because some people get really attached because it's the first time they discovered the band, the first time they fell in love with the music. So it's always a gamble a little bit, but we thought we could pull it off because we've done it in the past [where] we rearranged some songs just for the live shows, without maybe doing as much of the rework that we've done now, but still making new sounds so that it would flow better with the rest of the songs in the setlist. Some of the tracks, for the keyboards, we were using [keyboards] from 2002, so they don't sound as good as the new ones, obviously. So we kind of needed to rearrange them and re-record them. And a lot of this stuff was on tape, 'cause we recorded analog back then. So Marco [Coti Zelati], our bass player, which is the main songwriter of the band, he had to go back and re-record the whole album, the original version, to find out all the parts, and then we re-recorded the vocals in the original version, and then rearranged everything and see what we could get and where we could progress and make it different."

Continued Cristina: "It was actually really stressful. Because when you write a new record, people don't know the songs, so you put them out there. Some people might love them; some people might not like them; but it's something new. When you put out something made out of something in a new version, it's always very challenging. It was stressful. But we're happy — we're really happy."

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.

Regarding the "Comalies" title, Scabbia said: "[During the album's recording], we had a sort of creative explosion. We were working in a coma, sort of like in a different dimension. First of all we just wanted to use the word 'coma' but there was something missing so we played with the two words 'coma' and 'lies'."

The "Comalies" song "Swamped" was previously made available as a downloadable track for the music video game series "Rock Band" and also appeared in the 2004 video game "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines".

Photo credit: Cunene

In a new interview with Josh Klinger, afternoon host at iHeartMedia Rock 95.5 in Chicago, Corey Taylor was asked how he manages to keep his "head on straight" while juggling several musical projects, including SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR and his solo career. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a damn good question. I have no idea. I think it's just focus. I focus on what's in front of me, and I focus on it one hundred percent. And then, when it comes time to shift that focus, I literally take that hundred percent and put it into what I'm doing. So I never… I mean, I'll be honest — as I've gotten older, it's been a little harder to do that because I'm having senior [moments] here and there where I'm, like, 'Eh…What band am I [working with right now]?' But for the most part, it's never been too hard for me because I know the distinction between all of them. That's one of the reasons why I've done so many different projects, is because, for me, the distinction is the whole reason to do them.'

The 49-year-old singer, who is preparing to release his second solo album, "CMF2", continued: "It's never been about ego; it's never been about 'me, me, me.' It's always just been purely because I have a lot of music I want to make, and I want to make as much of it before I go senile and can't clean myself. Let's put it that way. So I'm just a greedy, greedy pig who just wants to make all the music and be able to play it all, man."

Taylor added: "Yeah, it's pretty easy once you've realized the reasons why you're doing all of these projects and then it makes it even easier to make sure that you're devoting a hundred percent of your heart into it."

Corey recently released the first single from "CMF2", a song called "Beyond". The official video supporting the single, as premiered by Rolling Stone, was shot at a remote location within California's Mojave Desert. Captured through the lens of director Dale "Rage" Resteghini (HATEBREED, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, TRIVIUM),the video finds Taylor trudging around the desert as a musing Uncle Sam intermingling with members of the band and the CHERRY BOMBS, the all-girl dance group featuring Taylor's wife Alicia Taylor, all the while being surrounded by different versions of himself from through the years — before culminating as a live performance for a mass of fans in the round.

The song "Beyond" harkens back to 2006 in some shape or form. Taylor knew the song was special, but never found the time to bring the tune to its potential.

"CMF2" follows up Taylor's 2020 solo debut "CMFT", which featured the No. 1 Billboard mainstream rock single "Black Eyes Blue" and streaming sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat. Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie). The LP hit No. 6 on Billboard's U.S. Top Rock Albums chart.

"CMF2" is Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, AMON AMARTH),who produced STONE SOUR's 2017 "Hydrograd" LP as well as "CMFT", returns for Taylor's second full-length.

In support of his new album, Taylor has announced his 2023 tour featuring special guests WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city tour kicks off on August 25 at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, making stops across the U.S in Detroit, Orlando, Dallas and more before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5.

In a new interview with "THAT Rocks!", the weekly YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, POISON singer Bret Michaels reflected on last year's "The Stadium Tour" which saw his band performing alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wanna make very clear: I'm a big fan. Joan Jett was incredible. The first band was CLASSLESS ACT. They were great — great musicians. Joan, same thing; the playing was great.

"When you think about this, every rock band… You want it to be dark [out when the band is performing outdoors]. You're, like, 'I wanna see the lights, the pyro,' all this stuff that POISON and myself have done for years. But the opportunity to go out there and…

"I'm a big fan of DEF LEPPARD, a big fan of MÖTLEY CRÜE," he continued. "And everyone on that tour was great. Everyone got along. I'd go out and see their shows. You see all the pictures of Tommy [Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer] on the side of the stage watching us play. I'm up there, hanging out, watching Joan and DEF LEPPARD. Honest to God, it was a great moment."

This past February, Michaels was full of praise for DEF LEPPARD, telling the "Pete McMurray Show" about the British rockers: "They're ageless. And their music… I've gotta tell you what I love about LEPPARD… Beside being super-awesome, nice guys, they have a lot big hits, but you know what's great about 'em? They also — like myself; I'm saying as an artist — like to throw in new music in their set. And me, as a fan, I like to hear a new song.

"Listen, I wanna hear the classic hits — don't ever misunderstand me — but the reason they became hits is because someone spun them and played them so we could hear them," he explained. "And I love that they threw in new stuff, mixed it in with all their hits. And it was great."

Bret will hit the road in July for a limited run of live dates for his 2023 "Parti-Gras" tour. Michaels has created this tour with a Mardi Gras feel in celebration of his great fans and hit music. The renowned rockstar will bring a few of his rocker friends along for a mashup of all-killer, no-filler hits featuring special guests NIGHT RANGER and JEFFERSON STARSHIP with special appearances from Steve Augeri (former lead singer of JOURNEY) and Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),plus a nightly surprise guest to rock your world.

Presented by Live Nation, the 12-city limited date run kicks off on Thursday, July 13 at the one and only Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan; known for its epic concerts and parties, going on to make stops across the U.S. including at The Pavilion at Star Lake, in his birthplace of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania),Holmdel (New Jersey),Tinley Park (Illinois),Tampa (Florida),and more before wrapping up in Charlotte (North Carolina) at PNC Music Pavilion on August 6. The tour promises to be a modern-day throwback to epic tailgate parties, positive energy, and a much needed nothing but a good vibe.

Two months ago, it was reported that Bret was putting the finishing touches on his new inspirational book titled "Bet On Yourself: Don't Crash & Burn… Crash & Learn", tentatively set for a fall 2023 release. The book will serve as a motivational, inspirational and entrepreneurial guide where Bret will take readers on a journey, highlighting lessons, pulling from highs and lows of his own life in an effort to realize the unbroken fighting spirit in all of us.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has told Metal Wani's Jessie David that KINGS OF THRASH, his collaborative project with another former MEGADETH member, guitarist Jeff Young, will enter the studio next week to work on "some new material." He went on to say that it's "stuff that we've already written, so we're gonna just get in the studio and cut the tracks."

As for a possible release date for the first original music from KINGS OF THRASH, David said: "As we look it now, they're probably gonna be one-off singles rather than a full-length album. And that, of course, could change, depending on how it goes in the studio. The studio has a mind of its own. So we'll know more in a couple of weeks."

Asked if the KINGS OF THRASH songs will be in the "old-school thrash" vein, Ellefson said: "It's interesting. Because Jeff and I… He's a VAN HALEN fan, as am I. He's a Randy Rhoads fan, as am I. A lot of my writing, even in MEGADETH, [from the] 'So Far, So Good... So What!' [album] into the '90s, was a lot of my participation, some of this stuff kind of swings into those areas, which I like. I think it's pretty cool. I think Jeff and I are creating something — we're creating a new sound. It doesn't have to be four songs of blistering assault. It can be musical.

"It's interesting connecting with Jeff all these years later, 'cause he's had his own experiences musically and in life; I've had mine," he continued. "And now we intersect all these years later. It's like a family reunion — it's, like, 'Tell me about your life. Where have you been? What have you done? Who have you seen?' So I think that's the musical intersection that we're having as well right now."

During its recently completed "Thrashin' USA" tour, KINGS OF THRASH played a new original song called "Bridges Burned".

According to Young, the seeds for the KINGS OF THRASH original music were planted almost a year and a half ago when he and Ellefson took part in the filming of the upcoming documentary on late MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza. "We had dinner [at the Rainbow in West Hollywood] the night before the Menza documentary filming," Jeff recalled to "Brews & Tunes" podcast. "We were getting up to leave, and something hit me… It must have been '89. We were demoing a couple of tunes for what became 'Rust In Peace'. There was invitations to contribute to the writing, so David and I were demoing some stuff up on cassette. Unfortunately, I did not save those; I don't know what happened. But two of the riffs really stuck in my head. And I sang 'em in [Ellefson's] ear as we were paying the bill. He was, like, 'Dude, I totally remember those riffs. That's killer. We've gotta get in a room and work that stuff up.' So flash forward a couple of months later, he was back in L.A. I had another song idea that I actually started with a drum beat I had of Nick Menza's, and then I blew it out from there. He and I took those two riffs, demoed them. And a couple of more months went by, he was back out in L.A. again. We got together. And he had a couple of skeletons. And the cool thing about it is we never really had the opportunity to write together — it was so fast and furious back in the day — but now it was like we were finishing each other's sentences. We're more seasoned; we're better musicians; we're better songwriters. We're calmed and there's no ego in the room; there's no toxicity in the room — wink, wink… And we walked out of two writing sessions with four songs."

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

KINGS OF THRASH released a live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" on March 24 via Cleopatra Records. The 17-song set, featuring performances of MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!", was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and includes an appearance by another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar). The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment.

Asked in an interview with Ultimate Guitar if he and Ellefson have received any feedback from MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine about their new band or their recent live shows, tour, Young said: "Nah, we couldn't care less… and it's a win-win for him. Because all the publishing, for example, on the 'Best Of The West', he's getting all that money. We're making him money and he doesn't have to do anything. So, we're performing the songs because they're part of our history and the fans want to hear them and we will benefit from that, and so will he, so it's a win-win. How much cooler can anything be than that? So, if he has something to say about it… I wouldn't imagine it would be very objective… not that anything he's ever said has been objective."

Jeff's latest comments echo those he made last year when he told Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series, Young that he and Ellefson were "really not concerned" about Mustaine's reaction to KINGS OF THRASH. "I don't pay attention," he said. "I haven't really paid attention or followed MEGADETH since, I think, I heard the 'Rust In Peace' album a couple of times, and then what you might hear on the radio or in the press.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice, who was a driving force behind Jeff Beck's supergroup BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, was asked in a new interview with the Mike Nelson Show about the iconic guitarist's musical legacy. He said: "He was the best guitar player. He made the guitar talk. As he got older, he got better. Just like all of us, I think — as you get older, you get more tasteful; you get better. And when we played with him, we were all animals. When the solo came, we went for it."

Beck, who rose to prominence with THE YARDBIRDS, died "suddenly" on January 10 after contracting bacterial meningitis, his representative said.

Having cultivated one of the most influential careers in rock history, Beck was universally acknowledged as one of the most talented and significant guitarists in the world, and has played alongside some of the greatest artists of rock, blues and jazz.

Over the course of his distinguished 50-plus-year music career, he had earned an incredible eight Grammy Awards, been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time," and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice — once as a member of THE YARDBIRDS and again as a solo artist. In the summer of 2016, the guitar virtuoso celebrated his five decades of music with an extraordinary concert at the famous Hollywood Bowl.

Appice is the original drummer of VANILLA FUDGE, with whom he still records and performs today. He has also played with CACTUS and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, in addition to spending stints in the bands of Ozzy Osbourne and Stewart. Carmine was named the 28th greatest drummer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Appice is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished showmen in rock and is the recipient of numerous awards, including dozens of gold- and platinum-selling records. Carmine has broken new ground in every aspect of his career as a performer, as a teacher, and as a writer, and he continues to inspire drummers and listeners throughout the world with his originality and his unwavering dedication to the art of drumming.

Carmine's autobiography, "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", was released in May 2016 by Chicago Review Press.

Under the moniker APPICE, Carmine and his brother Vinny released "Sinister", their first joint studio album, in October 2017 through SPV/Steamhammer.

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of the debut album from Withering Scorn, entitled Prophets Of Demise, on July 7. Watch a lyric video for the song, "Dark Reflections", below.


Withering Scorn is a monstrous new heavy metal machine featuring guitarist Glen Drover (ex-Megadeth, King Diamond), drummer Shawn Drover (Act Of Defiance, ex-Megadeth), bassist Joe DiBiase (ex-Fates Warning), and vocalist Henning Basse (Metalium).


Withering Scorn was formed in 2020 by brothers Glen and Shawn Drover, who have played together previously in heavy metal icons Megadeth, as well as in Eidolon. The pair have teamed up once again for their latest musical offering and are joined by Joe DiBiase on bass, who played with Fates Warning for 14 years on multiple records and world tours, and, on vocals, German native Henning Basse who is most well-known for his work with Metalium, Firewind, and others. The potent combination of these four incredibly talented musicians joining forces has given birth to an uncompromising heavy metal record in the form of their debut offering, Prophets Of Demise.




“The four of us have been musicians most of our lives. At this point, we are pretty honed in as to what we want to do musically, and that is to create a 100% uncompromising heavy metal record, which is exactly what we have done. No punches pulled, no holds barred...just flat out HEAVY METAL!!! We are extremely proud of our first record, Prophets Of Demise, and worked very hard on this record for almost three years. I believe the results will speak for themselves. We hope you like the record as much as we did creating it," says drummer and band co-founder Shawn Drover.


Pre-order/save Prophets Of Demise here.





Prophets Of Demise tracklisting:


"Prophets Of Demise"
"The Vision"
"Pick Up The Pieces"
"Ancient Desire"
"Dark Reflections"
"Dethroned"
"Never Again"
"Eternal Screams"


"Dark Reflections" lyric video:





"Prophets Of Demise" lyric video:





Withering Scorn are:


Henning Basse - Vocals
Glen Drover - Guitars
Joe Dibiase - Bass
Shawn Drover - Drums

Behold Ethereal Void, a trinity of death metal musicians whose music emanates from the shadows of Ontario, Canada. Infused with groove and progressive elements, their rhythmic dirges speak of the void beyond time and space, a place of emptiness and desolation. Forged in that void, their music embodies the hopelessness of existence, reminding us of the futility of our struggles. Their third album Gods Of A Dead World is now ready to be shown the light of day and they invite you to indulge in the album stream. 


They comment:


“This album is definitely our most consistent offering to date. We refined the sound both in writing and production while maintaining a unique angle for every song. The biggest stand-out is the introduction of orchestral elements to the sound. It feels like a long time coming, at least from my perspective. The album is much more refined musically as well. While we generally keep to the traditional EV themes, there is a constant-running sub-theme of the futility and violence of warfare.”




Throughout the album, Ethereal Void takes up through moments of tension, traditional death metal, instrumental interludes, relentless riffs, and anxious melodies. They cover bleak and harsh topics such as war, suicide, a dying planet, and the worship of entropy. The organic conjuring of the album is initially created by Terci Ruina creates, further embellished by Nemesis, and completed by “Voiicide” who also produced, mixed, and mastered it.


Gods Of A Dead World is raw, visceral, and primitive. The groove-based death metal darkness within is recommended for fans of Gojira, Septic Flesh, and The Design Abstract.


BraveWords is hosting the Gods Of A Dead World album stream – listen below:


Gods of a Dead World by Ethereal Void


Preorder the album on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


"Overture To Annihilation"
"The Faceless"
"Seeds Of Hatred"
"The Art Of Ruination"
"Psychosomatic Suicide"
"Decay" (Interlude)
"Return To The Void"
"The Brown Stone Spire"
"Gods Of A Dead World"


"The Voiceless":





"Seeds Of Hatred" lyric video:

Coming off the musically powerful and evocative single “Breathe,” Las Vegas-based modern rock band Crashing Wayward—vocalist Peter Summit, guitarists Stacey David Blades and David Harris, bassist Carl Raether, and drummer Shon McKee— share the music video for their new single “Closer”. 


Powered by Summit’s striking voice, multiple guitar textures and gripping fast-paced rhythm, the song “speaks to relationships—specifically unhealthy, addictive romantic relationships,” explains Summit. “It focuses on the obsession someone might have and also to the awareness that this might not be the right place for that person.” Watch the video, which captures the band’s onstage dynamism, below.


“Closer” is one of many highlights on the band’s debut album LISTEN! that’s due out June 9 on the RFK Media label. The 11-track album was produced by heavy hitter Mike Gillies, whose credits include a long tenure with Metallica as well as studio work with Mötley Crüe and The Cult. Lyrically poetic and musically illuminating, Crashing Wayward paints a landscape that stretches beyond alternative hard rock and explores the diverse influences of each of its band members,




“There are four strong songwriters with all different types of influences, so this creates a unique sound,” says Blades. “From a guitar standpoint, David Harris plays a lot in open tunings which gives the riffs a very different vibe along with my mainly Drop D tuning. When you put the guitar parts together, they are very different. Added to that is Carl Raether’s powerful bass lines plus Shon McKee's fantastic drumming—and with Pete's distinctive vocals and melody lines, you get Crashing Wayward.”


The band came together in the spring of 2020, just when the world seemed to come to a halt. In that stillness, the band grew restless, feverishly writing emotionally fueled songs of hope, inclusion, and escape. The music on LISTEN! represents a cathartic release raw in approach yet refined in tone. 


Says Summit about the striking album cover, an image of a woman with her mouth shut and masking tape across it: “The album art was taken during the 'Breathe' photo session, although the concept of ‘No one will be silenced’ has been used in various high-profile projects such as the ‘NOH8’ silent campaign in 2008, which showed celebrities in protest of the 'Proposition 8' banning of same-sex marriage. The intention is to focus on the power in her eyes. ‘See us. Hear us!’ We felt that the title LISTEN! was powerful in portraying both the album's cover and the lyrics throughout the album. LISTEN! speaks directly to life itself touching on topics of Intolerance, Mental Health, Suicide, Love, Peace, Loss and Political Unrest.”


Crashing Wayward’s official introductory single “Breathe,” was released in December 2022 and achieved international recognition via Apple Music’s “Breaking Hard Rock” and “New in Rock” playlists, YouTube’s “Heavy Gauge” playlist, and a barrage of media interviews and radio play resulting in #1 status on radio stations in the U.S. and Canada. 


Crashing Wayward genuinely pour their soul, blood, sweat, tears, and hearts into their songs and live shows. The album will be available worldwide on CD and all digital/streaming platforms, with the vinyl edition to follow later this summer. Preorder at rfkmediashop.com.


The band recently performed a record release show for LISTEN! at the Viper Room in West Hollywood and will next be seen presenting a very special event merging music, art and more at The Industrial in Las Vegas on July 14 at which they will headline (more details TBA).





Tracklisting:


“Mouth To God’s Ear”
“Closer”
“Stranger Days”
“Disco Kills”
“Shake The Dead”
“Tilly”
“Staring At Ceilings”
“Death On Holiday”
“Paper Airplane Heart”
“Breathe”
“Velvets Drawn” 


“Closer” video:





“Breathe”:

The volatile powerhouse that is Ontario, Canada’s hardcore/metal quintet Teeth have emerged from the sludge of a foul generation - a vessel whose sole purpose is to create the most assailing, aggressive music imaginable. Born from illegal back-alley shows that resulted in literal fires, Teeth has come off a string of sold-out - and absolutely vicious - headliners while independently amassing over 1 million streams, gaining recognition from metal titans Slipknot and deathcore innovators Emmure. Teeth is just getting started, and they’re playing for keeps.  


Today, Teeth have announced they are hitting the road for "The Biblical Worship Of Violence" Canadian tour with Boston hardcore band Great American Ghost. The 11-trek will kick off on July 21 in Hamilton and will make stops in Windsor and Montreal before concluding in Barrie on August 8.


More information and tickets available here.







Dates:


July
21 – Hamilton, ON – Corktown (no Great American Ghost)
28 – Toronto, ON – Sneaky Dee’s
29 – St. Catherines, ON – Warehouse
30 – London, ON – Rum Runners


August
1 – Windsor, ON – Chelsea Underground
2 – Cambridge, ON – Rhythm & Brews
4 – Ottawa, ON – House Of Targ
5 – Montreal, QC – Cabaret Foufounes
6 – Quebec City, QC – L’Anti
7 – Kingston, ON – The Mansion
8 – Barrie, ON – Queens Nightclub 


The band also dropped the video visualizer for the track “Drip”.





Resolved to utilize the carcasses of their conquered demons as fodder for a new euphonious weapon, Teeth wanted to create the most ignorant, aggressive-sounding music imaginable. Their latest offering A Biblical Worship Of Violence will be unleashed digitally on May 5th and on vinyl on July 21 via Nuclear Blast Records.


The band states, "A Biblical Worship Of Violence is our ode to the ache of change - a snapshot of a moment in time where we were all going through dark shifts in our personal lives that forced us to see life through the lens of true pain and discomfort. We knew we needed to create something so visceral and honest to articulate what we’d been going through while also giving us the opportunity to speak on the state of this world. Division, compulsion - an intrinsic gravitational pull toward cruelty and brutality. ABWOV is a commentary on human beings darkest, most volatile conventions."


A Biblical Worship of Violence was recorded in the fall of 2020 at Bell Tower Studios. Davis Maxwell and the band were responsible for producing and engineering the record while Lance Prenc handled mixing and mastering. This time around the band enlisted Heavy Sleeper Co to create the album artwork and layout.


A Biblical Worship Of Violence will be available as a red with black splatter vinyl. Preorder/pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


“We Eat Our Young”
“Hate Me”
“Pig Virus”
“Drip”
“EYESHORNSMOUTH”


“Hate Me” video:

Today, six-time JUNO-nominated Canadian hardcore punk heavyweights Cancer Bats unveil the official music video for “Hammering On”. Featuring live footage from their sold-out December 2022 performance at The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, the video captures the band in top form, playing to a packed hometown crowd and connecting every note with their ferocious live energy.





Along with the electrifying title track Psychic Jailbreak, the punishing, southern-tinged banger “Lonely Bong”, the hard-hitting “Pressure Mind” and the hardcore anthem “Radiate”, “Hammering On” is taken from the band’s critically-praised and JUNO-nominated seventh studio album Psychic Jailbreak, which dropped in April 2022 via the band’s own label Bat Skull Records in partnership with New Damage Records. A band favourite, “Hammering On” showcases the bands love of all things stoner, sludge and Sabbath and features soaring duet vocals from Brooklyn Doran.




Tonight, Cancer Bats are kicking off their East Coast dates in support of Psychic Jailbreak. The band will play Charlottetown, PEI this evening at Trailside Cafe and are set to play Moncton, Halifax and Sydney, NS over the next few days. For a list of all upcoming Canadian tour dates and to purchase tickets, head to cancerbats.com.





Dates:


May
24 – Charlottetown, PEI – Trailside Café
25 – Moncton, NB – Xeroz
26 – Halifax, NS – Seahorse
27 – Sydney, NS – Curling Club 


July
8 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage (support for Billy Talent)


(Photo - Sid Tang)

In any serious conversation about death metal, the name Vomitory has to come up. Following their inception in 1989, between 1996 and 2011 they dropped eight of the most blistering albums the genre has spewed up, the quartet parting ways in 2013. However, the band's retirement turned out to be short lived, returning to stages in 2019 to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, and now they drop their first new full-length in twelve years, the monstrous All Heads Are Gonna Roll.


All Heads Are Gonna Roll, out May 26 via Metal Blade, can be pre-ordered here. Check out an unboxing video below:







Boasting the classic Vomitory sound with a few new twists and turns, it is everything their faithful could have hoped for, the band having taken their time before committing to it rather than rushing in. "We weren't feeling any pressure, it was rather about making a decision whether we should continue as a band, i.e. release new material, or simply put the band back in the grave again," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We wrote a few songs first just for the fun of it, to see if we still 'had it', before we made the final decision to continue and make a new full-length album."


All Heads Are Gonna Roll is best described as "fast, grinding, D-beat, fist-in-your-face death metal", it features fresh aspects that are uncommon to Vomitory records. "One thing in particular we did was to try to build distinct choruses in the songs, which is something we didn't put too much effort into earlier," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We have also spent a lot more time working with the backing vocal arrangements, which we certainly think paid off very well. It brings something new to our sound. We have also tried to write more straightforward riffs, like we did in the early 2000s."


The instruments for the record were tracked in the band's rehearsal space, on a mobile studio setup engineered by Mats Lindström, and was self-produced. This allowed them to work at their own pace in the hours that worked for them, rather than having this dictated to them as would be the case if they had rented a studio. "Although we had a lot of flexibility to choose our working hours, it was still crucial to keep the recording schedule as strict as possible, because it was so easy to say 'let's do it tomorrow instead'." For vocals, they went to Leon Music Studios and engineer Rikard Löfgren, which was where they recorded their last three albums. They brought in good friend Christian Fredriksson (Vulkan) to play some guitar solos, but otherwise it is entirely their own work. With vivid horror movie-inspired artwork - with a hint of anti-religion thrown in for good measure - All Heads Are Gonna Roll really is the whole package for death metal fans, and a stunning return to form after so many years between releases.





All Heads Are Gonna Roll will be available in the following formats:


- Digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl
- dim gray marbled vinyl (limited to 700 copies)
- crimson red marbled vinyl (limited to 500 copies)
- clear w/ red & white splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- silver w/ black splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- red w/ purple splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies) Sound Pollution exclusive


Cover art by Giannis Nakos.





All Heads Are Gonna Roll tracklisting:


"All Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"Decrowned"
"Ode To The Meat Saw"
"The Deepest Tomb"
"Piece By Stinking Piece"
"Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead"
"Dead Man Stalking"
"Disciples Of The Damned"
"Dead World"
"Beg For Death"


"Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead" video:





"All Heads Are Gonna Roll" video:





Vomitory lineup:


Erik Rundqvist - vocals/bass
Urban Gustafsson - guitar
Peter Östlund - lead guitar
Tobias Gustafsson - drums


(Photo - Erik Hansen)

During a new appearance on "Talk Is Jericho", the podcast hosted by FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho, legendary producer Bob Rock confirmed that he recently worked on three new songs with MÖTLEY CRÜE. Asked what it was like having new CRÜE guitarist John 5 in the studio during the sessions, Rock said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was so amazing. It was just the best time — so easy. It was really easy."

Bob also recounted a story about being impressed by CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx's willingness to improve his craft decades into the band's existence.

"[While we were making 1989's] 'Dr. Feelgood', [Nikki] says to me, he goes, 'I don't think I ever played on any of the MÖTLEY CRÜE records. I think somebody came in at night and replaced all my parts.' He says, 'So I don't really know how to play bass.' And I said, 'Too bad. You're playing bass on it.' So I worked with him through 'Dr. Feelgood', did a lot of edits and made him play every note. But when we did 'The Dirt' [soundtrack], the songs on 'The Dirt', I went to see him and we started working on the demos. He picked up the bass and started playing, and I said, 'Woah, woah, woah. What's going on here?' He had been taking bass lessons for five years. All of a sudden he's an amazing bass player. And I think that's so cool, in that point of his career, he wanted to be better. I admire that. So now, on 'The Dirt', Nikki and Tommy [Lee] played live off the floor, both of them."

Apparently circling back to the latest MÖTLEY CRÜE sessions, Rock added: "So I had John 5, Nikki Sixx — excellent bass player — Tommy Lee. It was easy."

Less than two weeks ago, Nikki said in a social media post that MÖTLEY CRÜE's new songs were "100% officially done and ready for mix."

Earlier in the month, John 5 spoke to Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about recording MÖTLEY CRÜE's new music with Rock, saying: "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.

MÖTLEY CRÜE resumed its world tour with DEF LEPPARD this past Monday (May 22) in Sheffield, U.K.

In a new interview with the 94.3 The Shark radio station, SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor was asked if he has ever written a song, only to realize that the idea might have been ripped off from another artist. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Cryptomnesia. It's a very real thing. And we just saw it play out in the courts with Ed Sheeran.

"The thing that I love that [Ed] proved is that chord progressions are going to be similar going all the way back, going all the way forward; it's what you do over the top of them," he continued. "And that's one of the reasons why — and a lot of people won't know this — music cannot be copywritten [sic]. Now, lyrics and melodies can, because that is the stuff that truly changes and shapes, which is one of the reasons why, if you can show that the melody and the phrasing is the same, then you have copyright infringement. But if the music feels similar, there's nothing you can really do about it, because those chord progressions have been the same for years, going all the way back.

"I have a very long memory when it comes to that stuff," Taylor added. "Obviously, I try to avoid anything that sounds similar anyway. 'Cause that stuff doesn't interest me. So I really go above and beyond to really try and make sure that everything I do sounds different, feels different. And if it does start to sound a little too similar, I rein it in and I break it down and restructure it from scratch. I've started whole other songs before and just gone right back to the drawing board. 'Cause I'm, like, I don't want anyone to come in and say that I stole this [and] I stole that. 'Cause I've gotten in arguments with people before who have tried to tell me that I've done it. And I'm, like, 'You're an idiot. I'm gonna put these two songs right together. You show me on the doll where these songs are the same. And if not, you kiss my ass, man.' And it's very satisfying."

Earlier in the month, a New York jury found that Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's 1973 song "Let's Get It On". The lawsuit, filed by the heirs of the song's co-writer and composer Ed Townsend, claimed the pop superstar unlawfully employed the "heart" of Gaye's song — that is, "harmonic progressions" and "melodic and rhythmic elements" in his 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud".

Sheeran had repeatedly denied that he had taken from Gaye's song, telling "Good Morning America" that the jury believed that he did not copy "Let's Get It On" because it was "101 songs with the same chord sequence, and that was just, like, scratching the surface," he said, adding that the jury "was very quick to see that and be, like, 'Oh, yeah.'"

During an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show", Sheeran reiterated what he had argued in court: "Yes, it's a chord sequence that you hear on successful songs, but if you say that a song in 1973 owns this, then what about all the songs that came before?

"No one's saying that songs shouldn't be copyrighted," he added, "but you just can’t copyright a chord sequence. You just can't."

Corey's second solo album, "CMF2", will arrive on September 15. The LP follows up Taylor's 2020 solo debut "CMFT", which featured the No. 1 Billboard mainstream rock single "Black Eyes Blue" and streaming sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat. Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie). The LP hit No. 6 on Billboard's U.S. Top Rock Albums chart.

"CMF2" is Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, AMON AMARTH),who produced STONE SOUR's 2017 "Hydrograd" LP as well as "CMFT", returns for Taylor's second full-length.

In support of his new album, Taylor has announced his 2023 tour featuring special guests WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city tour kicks off on August 25 at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, making stops across the U.S in Detroit, Orlando, Dallas and more before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5.

The name Ruthless in itself means “without mercy.” Since the early 1980’s, lead by vocalist Sammy DeJohn, the band has stayed true to its style of metal, from the classic first EP Metal Without Mercy (1984) and the debut cult album Discipline Of Steel (1986), to the current albums They Rise (2015)” and Evil Within (2019), they’ve never wavered on the power of bands like Judas Priest, Accept and Black Sabbath, always staying true to their roots.


Today, Ruthless announce their fourth and new album, The Fallen, which will be released by the end of 2023 through their new record label Fireflash Records.


“We are very honored and extremely excited to be partnering with Fireflash Records. The future is very bright”, says vocalist Sammy DeJohn, who founded the band in 1982, and adds: “You can expect it to be very powerful with a throwback to the early days of the band. This album will give you everything Ruthless.”




“We are proud to welcome this US metal legend to the Fireflash family”, says label founder Markus Wosgien and adds: “When I heard the ten new tracks, the power and the passion combined with their straight and traditional 80s metal sound, it was a no-brainer to work with the band. Ruthless is an Underground legend, that deserves to be heard by any true metalhead and “The Fallen” is a future classic and a must-have for anyone who is into traditional heavy metal like Metal Church, Helstar, Exciter, Liege Lord and others.”


The band has shown glimpses of the future as well as back to the beginning and offers a strong album with tons of highlights, produced by Bart Gabriel. With this lineup of original vocalist, Sammy DeJohn (1982 to present), drummer, Bob Guitrau (1986-2012 and 2021 to present), bass player, Sandy K. Vasquez (since 2016) and guitarist, Glen Paul (since 2021), Ruthless is ready to thrash the world once again!


Ruthless live:


June
10 - Santa Ana, CA - Stages (w/ Witch)


August
5 - Hollywood, CA - Knuckleheads (w/ Avenger Of Blood)


October


14-15 - Garden Grove, CA - The Gates Of Metal Fest


Ruthless are:


Sammy DeJohn - Vocals
Glen Paul - Guitar
Sandy K. Vasquez - Bass
Bob Guitrau - Drums


(Photo - Alex Solca)

Wednesday 13 has announced a U.S. tour celebrating 21 years of his former band, the revered glam punk icons MURDERDOLLS. Wednesday 13 and his current band — which features MURDERDOLLS alumni Roman Surman and Jack Tankersley — will perform a full set of MURDERDOLLS songs, taken from the band's celebrated 2002 debut album "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" and the 2010 sophomore LP "Women And Children Last", which won them the Revolver Golden Gods "Comeback Of The Year" award. Wednesday 13 was the frontman and songwriter, alongside guitarist and his creative partner in crime Joey Jordison (SLIPKNOT),in the metallic glam punk outfit.

Asked in a new interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green if he would ever consider touring under the MURDERDOLLS banner again, Wednesday 13 said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't really think so. Now that Joey is gone, there's no way that that can happen again. That's why I didn't wanna do this tour and call up all the other guys and go, 'Hey, let's put our differences aside and go out…' It's not MURDERDOLLS without Joey. That's why I wanted to go out and say I can go out and perform these songs, perform the MURDERDOLLS songs…

"For the last 18, 20 years I've been touring," he continued. "When I first started touring as Wednesday, before I had all these albums under my belt, I had to play those MURDERDOLLS songs in the beginning. I'm just now getting to the point where I'm, like, 'Oh, I don't have to play MURDERDOLLS songs,' and then now I'm back to 20 years ago again.

"Last year when we did the tour and I said we had a little tribute thing to Joey [as part of each concert], after the shows I would talk to people and they would just say, 'Hey, I never got to see MURDERDOLLS. I never got to hear those songs live. It would be really cool if you did a whole show and played those songs.' So that's what I thought would be the best way to pay respect to it. It's the music of MURDERDOLLS. It's not trying to continue on like BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION when Nikki Sixx left. I didn't ever want it to be something like that.

"I've already seen people in the press going, 'Well, it's not MURDERDOLLS without Joey.' I'm, like, well, exactly," Wednesday 13 added. "That's why I'm not calling it that. This is just something that I can go out and play these songs. And if we get to take this overseas and Europe and the U.K., we will. But I'm still not gonna focus on doing this full time. This will just be a fun thing to do; it's a cool little celebration. I haven't played those songs in a long time. I'm kind of sick of playing my songs. So this will be a good little break from 'em."

Last October, Wednesday 13 accused MURDERDOLLS' former guitarist Acey Slade of taking the MURDERDOLLS name behind Jordison's back.

In August 2022, it was announced that Slade and former MURDERDOLLS bassist Eric Griffin would take part in a signing at the Silver Scream convention at the Hilton Double Tree North Shore in Danvers, Massachusetts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of MURDERDOLLS' first album, "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". The event was slated to be livestreamed on several platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Acey and Eric were also going to be doing a meet-and-greet after the announcement for those in attendance at Silver Scream Con. In addition, Acey and Eric launched a web site, murderdollsofficial.com, that purports to cater to all of the MURDERDOLLS alumni and their legion of fans affectionally known as The Ghoulscouts.

On August 25, 2022, Wednesday 13 took to his social media to throw shade at his former bandmates, insisting that any merchandise being advertised using the MURDERDOLLS logos, music and lyrics is unapproved and unauthorized. Two days later (August 27),Acey responded to Wednesday, saying that the re-release of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" is officially licensed after he went through a "time-consuming and expensive" process reinstating the assets from Warner Music Group which fully acquired Roadrunner Records in 2010 after first buying 73.5% of the company in January 2007. He also invited all former member of the MURDERDOLLS to "use the band as a platform for their own endeavors".

After the completion of the touring cycle for "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls", MURDERDOLLS went on hiatus so that Jordison could focus on his other band SLIPKNOT. In 2010, MURDERDOLLS released a sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", which did not feature Slade, Griffin and drummer Ben "The Ghoul" Graves, all of whom toured in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" but did not appear on any of MURDERDOLLS' records.

Wednesday 13 reunited with Griffin and Slade on stage for the first time in over a decade in August 2018 at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event, which celebrated the life of Graves, saw the trio performing some of MURDERDOLLS' classic songs.

Graves, who also worked with PRETTY BOY FLOYD and DOPE, passed away in May 2018 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 45 years old.

The MURDERDOLLS did a number of major tours in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". By the summer of 2003, the tenacity of the band was paying off. Tours with IRON MAIDEN, PAPA ROACH and the FOO FIGHTERS around the world and a Top 40 U.K. single with "White Wedding" made the band fan favorite in Metal Hammer, Metal Edge, Kerrang! and Rock Sound magazines.

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Jasta Show" podcast, SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair spoke about the possibility of new music from the long-running Massachusetts-based outfit. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I will finally say there are riffs that are turning into skeletons that might become songs. Now, what happens with them, where they go, we'll see. But once we started jamming [for the recent reunion shows], we were, like, 'What's the point of doing this without writing new riffs?' And we had to make sure they were gonna sound like SHADOWS FALL; we didn't wanna come out of nowhere with something different, out of left field. But so far, they're coming together, man, and I'm stoked on what I'm hearing. So hopefully that'll continue, that'll continue on. But as far as dropping a whole record… Who knows? These days it's different anyway. Shit, we can just drop a few random singles and then see where it goes. But I'm excited that we're writing, that we're doing things. And so far what I've heard has been amazing… I haven't really committed, but we are finally getting our shit together and getting some riffs together."

Fair went on to say that SHADOWS FALL is not currently signed to any record label. "We're free and clear," he explained. "We were luckily free and clear for a while, so even our last couple of records were done kind of on our own terms."

SHADOWS FALL played its first reunion show in December 2021 at The Palladium in Worcester in the band's native Massachusetts. Fair and his bandmates also performed at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia and at the Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama.

Asked by host Jamey Jasta if SHADOWS FALL would be open to going out on a more extensive tour, possibly as the support act for an arena band, Fair said: "We're not averse to that. It takes a lot of logistics now, with the rest of my guys being in legendary thrash bands, like ANTHRAX and OVERKILL and whatnot. But if we can do it, we would love to. Right now, festivals have been something we can pull off. But I would love to do short tours or even a month-long tour. Or at least some long weekends where we hit each coast or do New England and then Midwest and then a West Coast thing. But we'll see. We're not saying 'no' to anything. We're gonna listen. So we'll see, if things make sense and if we can make it work."

He added: "I've been in dad mode, just working nine to five for a while, so getting back on the pirate ship is pretty enticing at this point."

SHADOWS FALL released a statement in August 2014 in which the bandmembers explained that financial difficulties made it virtually impossible for the group to continue as a full-time concern.

In August 2015, SHADOWS FALL played a few reunion shows on the U.S. East Coast, one year after completing what was being billed at the time as the band's "final" European tour.

SHADOWS FALL's latest album, "Fire From The Sky", released in May 2012 via Razor & Tie. The CD sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.

SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner is currently playing with OVERKILL, while guitarist Jon Donais is a member of ANTHRAX.

Donais and SHADOWS FALL guitarist Matt Bachand recently launched a new project called LIVING WRECKAGE, in which they are joined by guitarist Matt LeBreton (DOWNPOUR),drummer Jon Morency (LET US PREY) and vocalist Jeff GardDEATH RAY VISION.

The Ron Murdock YouTube channel has uploaded 4K video of former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler's May 7 performance at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Check out the clips below.

Joining Adler to bring songs like "Paradise City", "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O’ Mine", "Civil War", "My Michelle", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Rocket Queen" to life are guitarists Michael Thomas and Alistair James, and singer Ariel Kamin.

"You don't bet better than Michael Thomas and Alistair James; they are two of the best guitarists in rock," noted Adler.

Thomas previously has delighted music fans as the lead guitarist for ENGINES OF AGGRESSION, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and FASTER PUSSYCAT. In addition to providing Adler with smooth rhythms, James has produced recordings for HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES — the supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, and Alice Cooper.

Kamin was a well-known rocker in Argentina with such bands as CRIATURAS SALVAJES and GN'R tribute act SON OF A GUN when he was selected to come to the U.S. and join Adler in electrifying audiences with the music of GUNS N' ROSES. Audiences have been blown away.

"Ari Kamin is the total package. He's everything a rock 'n' roll front man is supposed to be," Adler said. "Not only does he have an incredible voice, he really connects with the audience. He's one of the best you'll ever experience."

In 2021, Adler told the M3 Rock Festival YouTube channel about how he ended up recruiting Kamin to front his ADLER solo band: "Actually, I went to Argentina [in November 2016] — my wife's from there; her family lives there — and the GN'R guys invited me to do a couple of songs. And so I had a little party at a club called the Roxy in [Buenos Aires], and he was the singer [that played with us that night]. You can go on my web site and see — the Roxy in Argentina. He was so great. I was, like, 'You're coming with me.' And the guitar player from the band that opened up for GN'R was so amazing. I told him, 'Come down. I wanna jam with you.' And he came down. I tell you, if [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash would have seen him playing, he would have been in the back, in the dressing room, practicing. That's how good he was."

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates in May 2018, including an Australian tour.

Although he wasn't included in the lineup that launched the "Not In This Lifetime" trek in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N' ROSES at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

In February 2017, Adler revealed that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016. The regular GUNS drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup.

Rob Zombie is the featured guest on "Howie Mandel Does Stuff", the podcast co-hosted by the comedian and his daughter Jackelyn Shultz. You can now watch video of Rob's appearance below.

Speaking about what he is working on at the moment, Rob said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now I'm just worrying about the summer tour and the next album, 'cause it's been a while since I've made a record… I was [working on the music for the LP] till about a week ago. And it's going good. It's a long process.

"I like making records over a long period of time, so that I can live with it," he explained. "Sometimes you write something and it's new and you're all excited 'cause it's new and the time goes by, [and you're, like] 'Eh, it's just exciting 'cause it's new. It's not really that good.' But if you live with stuff for a while, you kind of [get a better sense of how strong it is]."

Elaborating on how he goes about making albums, Rob said: "Usually it starts with just me and the producer coming up with ideas, mapping out rough ideas. And then the band will start, 'I've got this idea. And this idea…' I haven't stood in a room with a band and jammed on ideas since the early '90s. 'Cause I just always found that to be really draining… I like working with one guy behind the board and we formulate ideas and you piece it together — kind of like you would a movie; it's kind of similar. As opposed to a bunch of guys jamming all day long. You're, like, 'Anyone got any ideas?' 'Not really.'"

Asked how close he is to completing the next album, Rob said: "Not close at all. We just have a ton of ideas and I've gotta take those ideas, whittle them down, start writing lyrics, see if that makes sense… Hopefully by next summer [it will be ready]."

Rob's seventh studio album, "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy", was released in March 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP marked Rob's first new album in nearly five years. The follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris.

"The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" was the third consecutive effort to feature Zombie and guitarist John 5 alongside bassist Piggy D. and drummer Ginger Fish.

Last fall, John 5 exited Rob's band to join MÖTLEY CRÜE as the replacement for that group's founding guitarist Mick Mars. John 5 has since been replaced in Zombie's band by returning guitarist Mike Riggs.

Riggs had previously spent six years as a member of ROB ZOMBIE. Riggs joined forces with Rob in the '90s and stayed with him into the early 2000s, eventually leaving in 2004 (when Rob Zombie was largely focusing on films rather than music) to start a project of his own. Riggs songwriting and crunching guitars can be heard on Rob Zombie's "Hellbilly Deluxe", "American Made Music To Strip By", "The Sinister Urge" and "The Past, Present & Future" records.

More recently, Riggs had kept busy with his band SCUM OF THE EARTH, named after a song from "Sinister Urge". SCUM OF THE EARTH favors the sort of rhythmic, industrial-influenced, mildly funky, hip-hop-minded alternative metal that Riggs honed during his initial Rob Zombie days.

John 5 had worked with Zombie for 16 years, co-writing on all studio albums since "Educated Horses", and composing the score for Zombie's 2013 movie "The Lords Of Salem".

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

May 29, 1983 will forever be an important day in the history of heavy metal. After all, it was on this date that the world’s top metal acts (Van Halen, Scorpions, Triumph, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, and Quiet Riot) shared the stage on “Heavy Metal Sunday” at the mammoth US Festival.


And to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this legendary concert, one of the day’s standout performers, Triumph, will be issuing the double-LP, Live At The US Festival.


The set will only be available via the official Triumph merch store, here.




Set specifics:


- Double-LP, gatefold sleeve including never before seen photos
- Etching of the iconic Never Surrender thunderbird logo on the 4th side
- Remastered for vinyl at the legendary Metalworks Studios
- Limited to 750 copies, comes in either black, red, or blue vinyl


Fans who buy from the official Triumph merch store will receive a US Festival special podcast featuring new interviews with Rik Emmett, Gil Moore, Mike Levine, Mike Primeau, Harry Witz, John Roberts, Wayne Webster and more.





Tracklisting:


Side 1:
"Allied Forces"
"Lay It On The Line"
"Never Surrender"


Side 2:
"Magic Power"
"A World Of Fantasy"
"Rock And Roll Machine"


Side 3:
"When The Lights Go Down"
"Fight The Good Fight"


Side 4:
Etched with Triumph's ‘Never Surrender’ Thunderbird logo


To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of their US Festival performance and the new release on Limited Edition Vinyl, Triumph hosted a special viewing of the concert on the official Triumph YouTube Channel last night. You can now watch the concert below.


“Playing on the ‘Heavy Metal Sunday’ was just amazing for us,” recalls Triumph bassist Mike Levine. “It was really neat playing without our big production. We killed it. The band was hotter than a pistol. That day will always be locked in my memory – flying in on the chopper and looking at the endless amount of people and going, ‘What have we got ourselves into here?!’”


Between 1975-1988, Triumph - singer/guitarist Rik Emmett, singer/drummer Gil Moore, and Levine - rocked the world, and in the process, gave us countless classic hard rock anthems (“Fight The Good Fight,” “Hold On,” “Magic Power,” “Lay It On The Line,” “A World Of Fantasy,” etc.) and albums (Just A Game, Progressions Of Power, Allied Forces, Never Surrender, Thunder Seven, etc.).


But it was the trio’s show-stopping performance at the US Festival that remains one of the greatest performances of their career. And now, fans can revisit it from start to finish with the killer Live At The US Festival set.

Progressive rockers Haken are in the midst of a North American tour in support of their recently released album, Fauna. In March and April, the band performed live in Europe alongside Between The Buried & Me, and today they launch a video for the track "Lovebite", filmed live at their show in Paris, France at Alhambra on March 17th. 





The band commented of the current North American run: "We've been having an incredible time out on our North American Fauna Expedition, playing a brand new setlist, visiting cities old and new for us, and meeting fans every night at the VIP experience. It's been a busy year of touring so far but it doesn't end here - with festivals in Europe over the summer and our Latin American Fauna Expedition later in the year there are still many opportunities to see us live!"




Haken has the following dates still to play, before returning to Europe for Summer festivals including: Download, Loudfest, Graspop, Tuska, Arctangent, as well as some select headline shows. 


May
25 – August Hall - San Francisco, CA
26 – Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
27 – Neptune Theatre - Seattle, WA
28 – Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC
30 – The Commonwealth Room - Salt Lake City, UT
31 – Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO


June
1 – Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS
2 – Fine Line - Minneapolis, MN
3 – Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL


Fauna sees the band exploring new ideas conceptually as Ross Jennings states, “The premise of the album when we started writing it was that every song would have an animal assigned to it. They all have something related to the animal kingdom that we could write about, but they also connect to the human world. Each track has layers, and some of them are more obvious than others.”


“It reminds me of 'The Mountain',” adds guitarist and fellow founder Richard Henshall. “There, we had the idea of not really a narrative-based album, but more the concept of climbing a mountain and overcoming the obstacles along the way. Then we took that and thought about how it could relate to our everyday lives. All of Fauna’s animals relate to us, personally.”


Fauna also marks the return of keyboard player Peter Jones, whose sounds can be heard permeating the entire album. “What Pete’s brought sonically to the band has played a massive role in why we do have a lot of new sounds on this record,” says Ross. “It’s always a new dynamic when there’s a change in personnel, and this is a fresh and reviving one. It’s certainly helped proximity-wise, with Pete being in the country: Pete and Ray [Hearne, Haken’s drummer] would be at Rich’s place and they’d just start jamming. That’s really key to how the songs start.”


Fauna is available on several formats, including Ltd 2CD (incl. instrumentals), Standard CD, Gatefold 2LP & as Digital Album. The albums stunningly detailed artwork was created by Dan Goldsworthy (Charlie Griffiths, Sylosis).


Order yours here.





Tracklisting:


"Taurus"
"Nightingale"
"The Alphabet Of Me"
"Sempiternal Beings"
"Beneath The White Rainbow"
"Island In The Clouds"
"Lovebite"
"Elephants Never Forget"
"Eyes Of Ebony"


"Taurus" video:





"The Alphabet Of Me" video:





"Nightingale" video:





 

GODSMACK was joined by AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford on stage on May 23 at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee and again two days later (May 25) at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio for covers of AEROSMITH's classic power ballad "Dream On" and THE BEATLES' "Come Together". Asked in a new interview with the 99.7 The Blitz radio station how the collaboration came about, Erna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Actually, me and my fiancée and my manager and his wife and a couple of other friends and their girls, we all took a trip to the Bahamas together. And my manager also manages Joe Perry. So we just kind of all got to know the AEROSMITH camp over the years. And Brad and his wife Lisa came with us, so we spent 10 days with them in the Bahamas and just became really good friends. And I started talking to them about The Scars Foundation [which has been established by Erna and GODSMACK to help raise awareness of the mental health issues that so many are faced with today], and they were just head over heels for it. So I connected them with our executive director, and we've all kind of been in the mix ever since. And then the next thing you know, Lisa and Brad reached out and just said, 'Hey, we're gonna come to Tennessee and Ohio and Michigan and we're just jumping on your bus and we're gonna hang.' And I'm, like, 'Well, cool. Then we're doing an AEROSMITH song. 'Cause that has to happen.' And that's kind of how it started."

Sully went on to say that it's been "surreal" playing with one of his early musical idols.

"I've gotta tell you, man, for me, it was like… As you know, this band [GODSMACK] is from Boston, and AEROSMITH's from Boston, so they were my childhood heroes for sure, and I know some of the other guys [in GODSMACK], of course, love AEROSMITH," Erna said. "'Cause we all grew up with the same music — AEROSMITH, RUSH, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH. So it's still humbling and so rewarding to know that we're still living out our childhood dreams 25 years later touring. And I remember Joe Perry is actually the reason why I wanted to be a rock star. I started playing drums when I was three years old, so I'd always been a musician. My dad's a musician, my great uncle was a famous composer in Sicily. So music's in our bloodline. But it wasn't till I was about 13 or 14 years old and I opened up the 'Live! Bootleg' record and I'd seen Joe Perry holding up a B.C. Rich [guitar] with his hair covering his eyes and a blond streak. And I was just starting to get into weed and I was, like, 'That's what I wanna do right there.' So it was no longer about being a musician; it was about being a rock star. So, ironically, Joe Perry is the one that kind of flipped me in that direction. And, of course, we just have a lot of history from our childhood going to AEROSMITH shows and things like that. So it's been very surreal. And Brad's such a nice guy — a real sweetheart, man. We've just become really good friends. And it's just such an honor to share the stage with him."

Back in July 2019, Erna paid tribute to AEROSMITH, crediting the legendary rockers with playing "an enormous role in sculpting me to become the musician I am today."

Erna made his comments afer attending an AEROSMITH concert in Las Vegas, where the iconic band was in the middle of its "Deuces Are Wild" residency.

Sully took to his Facebook page to share a few photos of the show and included the following message: "Some info you may or may not know about me... Seeing @aerosmith tonight with my Manager Paul in Vegas was such a walk down memory lane for both of us. Not only have we built the GODSMACK brand together over the years, but we're both #Boston boys and have been friends now for 30 years and grew up listening and studying this band since we were teenagers. We've been going to AEROSMITH concerts since we were 14 hrs old and AEROSMITH Rocks was literally the first album I ever bought. I even remember smoking my first joint to the song 'Last Child'.

"I've seen AEROSMITH at least 10 times throughout the years and the photo of @joeperryofficial inside the Live Bootleg Album holding up his B.C. Rich with his hair in front of his face and that blonde streak was single handedly the photo that made me want to grow my hair long and go from just being a musician to being a 'rockstar.' This band and their music has meant everything to me over the years and has played an enormous role in sculpting me to become the musician I am today. Their presence, attitude and musicianship is by far some of the coolest and iconic ever known.

"I don't know how much longer they'll go for, but I just feel grateful that their music has been embedded into my veins and have been a huge part of my life! Thank You @aerosmith for all the music and inspirations you've given all of us Rock Musicians over the last 50 years! Talk about 'Legends Rise'? These guys have risen, fallen, and rose again to become bigger and better than they were before. They've been on the top of that mountain for decades. And they continue to inspire all of us over and over again. Yes, we're still super fans! But it's also nice to know that I didn't waste the last 37 years of my life idolizing the wrong band. #proud to be #boston ! What a fun and emotional night!"

In 2018, Erna told Classic Rock magazine that AEROSMITH's 1976 album "Rocks" was a huge influence on him growing up. "I'd been a musician since I was three and a half years old, and I was raised on blues and more jazzy music," he said. "A friend played me 'Last Child' from 'Rocks'. I think it was the first time I smoked a joint, and it was a really life-changing point for me, because it really lured me into the world of rock. It was super-cool for a young kid."

Graceless has used Artificial Intelligence to create a video for the song "This Ends With The World In Ruins", taken from their 2022 album, Chants From Purgatory.


According to the band, "The song deals with confrontations, religions and other behaviours that will cause the complete destruction of our society. Artificial Intelligence can be one of our potential downfalls, so it seems appropriate to let a machine determine the content of the video. The result is outright eerie, weird, uncanny, intense."







Pre-order for the re-releases of all Graceless albums (including bonus tracks) is available now at this location.